Whose Land Is It Anyway? There and Back Again

Written by Guthrie as a response to Irving Berlin's patriotic "God Bless America", these three versions have very different implications. Guthrie's original, aside from paying tribute to the beautiful nature of this continent, shows his desire for freedom to live and move as he chooses, and echos his communist sympathies. Fundamentally, he is protesting an overly simplistic view of the prosperous nation, and the desperate plight of some of her citizens.

This Land Is Your Land

Words and Music by Woody Guthrie

This land is your land This land is my land

From California to the New York island; 

From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters 

This land was made for you and Me.

As I was walking that ribbon of highway, 

I saw above me that endless skyway: 

I saw below me that golden valley: 

This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps 

To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts; 

And all around me a voice was sounding: 

This land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling, 

And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling, 

As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting: 

This land was made for you and me.

As I went walking I saw a sign there 

And on the sign it said "No Trespassing." 

But on the other side it didn't say nothing, 

That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people, 

By the relief office I seen my people; 

As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking 

Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me, 

As I go walking that freedom highway; 

Nobody living can ever make me turn back 

This land was made for you and me.

By removing 2 of the verses, the Boss tones down the song. Unemployment and poverty, ever-present, are sound but vague protest fare. Without the context of Guthrie's time, the song has a different political flavor.

                                                           

                                                           This Land Is Your Land     

                                                     as sung by Bruce Springsteen

Well I rode that ribbon highway 
I saw above me the endless sky 
I saw below me the golden valley 
This land was made for you and me 

I've roamed and rambled and followed my footsteps 
Through the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts 
And all around me a voice was calling 
This land was made for you and me 

This land is your land 
This land is my land 
From California 
To the New York island 
From the Redwood Forest 
To the Gulf Stream waters 
This land was made for you and me 

Well the sun came shining and I was strolling 
Through wheat fields waving and dust clouds rolling 
And a voice was sounding 
As the fog was lifting 
Saying this land was made for you and me 

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people, 

By the relief office I seen my people; 

As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking 

Is this land made for you and me?

This land is your land 

This land is my land 
From California 
To the New York island 
From the Redwood Forest 
To the Gulf Stream waters 
This land was made for you and me

And now for something completely different... This adaptation brings a different perspective and turns it back into a protest song for today's politics. Note the sign on the guitar - a copy of what Guthrie had on his guitar.

This Land is Your Land, new lyrics by Bob T. Guevara

This land is your land, this land is my land
From the Apache pueblos to the icey Inuit islands
From the waters of the big sea to the Gichie Goomie
This land was made for you and me.

When I was a young boy, many-a story
About brave people my momma told me
Their skin was red and to the white man
They said: this land is made for you and me.

But us Europeans came in great numbers
We spread out quickly and shook the land like thunder
Although we were greedy they still were friendly
And said: this land is made for you and me.

Wherever we came we shot their buffalo
We took their land until they've got nowhere to go
As they grew hungry they started wondrin'
Whether this land was really made for you and me.

Throughout the years for their freedom they struggled
Many treaty was signed and many fight a-battled
But the treaties were broken and peace was forsaken.
Was this land made for you and me?

Whatever we promised we never held it
If we found something to make profit
Lots of silver and gold their mountains hold we're told
But this land was made for you and me.

Now it's uranium with which our greed we please
We build dams and drown their valleys
Just leaves me to render and tell ya to remember
That this land was made for you and me.

If we listen to this song with a tuning to American politics, I ask what the Founder's would comment on these different versions. If we tune toward a 'Maker', I wonder who would that Maker say the land was made for?