This Land is Your Land (1940)

Woody Guthrie wrote this in answer to “God Bless America.” I feel it’s the most democratic of patriotic US songs, with its message that the country belongs to everyone, not politicians and not billionaires. The melody was based on an old Baptist hymn which had been recorded by the Carter Family. Guthrie was a prolific writer (I read somewhere that he wrote “a song a day” but I can’t quote a source on this!) Possibly because of his prolificacy, according to some he promptly forgot about the song for nearly 5 years! During WW2 in 1944 he rewrote some verses and recorded a version in 1947. The song follows the very basic chorus/verse/chorus/verse pattern so it’s the perfect community “join-in song” on its first hearing. The song had a huge revival during the folk and protest movement of the 1960s, with versions being performed and recorded by Pete Seeger (with The Weavers), Bob Dylan, The Kingston Trio, The Seekers, Peter, Paul & Mary, Trini Lopez and The New Christy Minstrels. It was performed by Bruce Springsteen with Pete Seeger at Obama’s Inauguration, by Jennifer Lopez at Biden’s Inauguration and by members of the US Navy at Memorial Day, Arlington Cemetery before President Donald Trump. So it seems that the song is no longer considered to be controversial – or partisan; it’s embraced by all. (Played on my friend Helen’s Ohana TK-120BUC Tenor Banjolele.) #ukuleleamericana #folkukulele #ukuleleprotestsongs