This Land is Your Land lyrics
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This Land is Your Land lyrics

This land is your land, and 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
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
And I saw above me that endless skyway


I saw below me that Golden Valley
This land was made for you and me
I roamed and rambled, and I’ve followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
All around me, a voice was sounding


This land was made for you and me
There was a big, high wall there that tried to stop me
A sign was painted said “Private Property”
But on the backside, it didn’t say nothing
This land was made for you and me
When the sun come shining, then I was strolling


And the wheat fields waving, and the dust clouds rolling
The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting
This land was made for you and me
This land is your land, and 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

“This Land Is Your Land” is a well-known American folk song written by Woody Guthrie. Let’s explore some details about this iconic song:

  • Lyrics:
    • The song begins with the lines:“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.”
    • These lyrics celebrate the vastness and beauty of the United States, emphasizing that the land belongs to everyone.
    • Guthrie’s intention was to create an alternative to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America,” which he found repetitive when sung by Kate Smith on the radio.
    • The song’s melody is based on a Carter Family tune called “When the World’s on Fire.”
    • Guthrie playfully renamed his song from “God Blessed America for Me” to “This Land Is Your Land.”
    • In 1944, during World War II, Guthrie revised the lyrics, removing verses critical of the United States.
    • The song has become a symbol of unity, freedom, and the American spirit.
  • Legacy:
    • In 1989, a 1947 recording of “This Land Is Your Land” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
    • The Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2002.
    • Rolling Stone ranked it at No. 229 on their list of “Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”

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