Posted on 05/01/2020 10:50:48 AM PDT by rktman
Few songs are more ingrained in the American psyche than "This Land Is Your Land," the greatest and best-known work by folk icon Woody Guthrie. For decades, it's been a staple of kindergarten classrooms "from California to the New York island," as the lyrics go. It's the musical equivalent of apple pie, though the flavor varies wildly depending on who's doing the singing.
On its most basic level, "This Land Is Your Land" is a song about inclusion and equality—the American ideal broken down into simple, eloquent language and set to a melody you memorize on first listen. The underlying message, repeated throughout the song, makes the heart swell: "This land was made for you and me."
But there's more to "This Land Is Your Land" than many people realize—two verses more, in fact. Guthrie's original 1940 draft of the song contains six verses, two of which carry progressive political messages that add nuance to the song's overt patriotism. These controversial verses are generally omitted from children's songbooks and the like, but they speak volumes about Guthrie's mindset when he put pen to paper 80 years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at getpocket.com ...
Woodie was a commie.
Total commie tune. Worthless pos. Should be outlawed and replaced with “Proud to be an American”
As I was walkin’
Through open country
I saw a sign
Said “Private Property”
But on the other side
It didn’t say nuthin’
That side was made for you and me
From one of the latter verses that you NEVER hear.
i do remember a variation i used tovsing in elementary school
this land is my land
this land ain’t your land
i got a shotgun
and you don’t got one
if you don’t get off
i’ll blow your head off
this land
is private property
somehow appropriate comsidering the governments we are under right now
Of the very filthiest type!
Jimmy Crack Corn is more “engrained” than that pos
Our son has performed with The grandchildren of both Guthrie and Seeger. Made us a bit nervous, especially when Seeger’s grandson sang “I might be right, I might be wrong, I have the right to sing this song.” I think at that point Mr. Mercat, being a vet, got up and left. I went too. Since we were in Canada I pointed out later to our son that his friend had the permission to sing the song, not the right because- no 1st Amendment in Canada.
Well don’t I stand totally corrected?
I love that song.
I had no idea it was so nasty in parts.
Thanks y’all for enlightening me.
Yup.
Woody was flat out commie.
During the war Woodie carried around a guitar that said “This machine kills Fascists”.
Why say Fascists and not Nazis, a young person might ask. It’s because the Nazis were National Socialists. And leftists would rather you not know that.
The history of Woody Guthrie is worth a read. It was the last time there was a serious effort to drag this country into Communism. Knowing what he was all about you’d likely never look at any of his music the same way again. You probably remember his protégé Pete Seeger who was still putting this stuff out there as recently as the ‘00s.
I did not know that.
The only Woody Guthrie song I know of the subject of this thread.
Why would anyone WANT to be a Communist?
Sadly as many small farmers will tell you this attitude is all too common.
Good fences (and a couple of guard dogs) make these people much better neighbors.
Unless, of course, you're less than 90 years old.
Yes, he had it on all his instruments.
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