This seems an appropriate song this week. It’s funny because I just now sat down to make this post and hadn’t a clue what song to do (too many choices!) and for some reason it just came to me just this second that this would be a good song.
I really want my children to grow up hearing and singing American folk songs, and also patriotic songs…and an American patriotic folk song like this is perfect, I think!
Not only is it perfect because of our new president being inaugurated tomorrow (a history-making president which has caused such a surge of patriotism and hope in our country!) …but also today is Martin Luther King, Jr’s birthday…when we remember another great man in our history that helped our country become a better place…something I know much of our country is hoping that President Obama will do as well.
Sooo…”This Land is Your Land” just seems all around perfect!!
Now, there are quite a few verses to this song, so I’m only going to teach my children the main part and the first verse, maybe the second. I don’t believe I knew more than that myself as a child.
So, here are the lyrics (choose as many or as few of the verses as you would like to use):
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND words and music by Woody Guthrie Chorus: 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 As I was walking a ribbon of highway I saw above me an endless skyway I saw below me a golden valley This land was made for you and me Chorus I've roamed and rambled and I've 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 Chorus The sun comes shining as I was strolling The wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling The fog was lifting a voice come chanting This land was made for you and me Chorus As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there And that sign said - no tress passin' But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin! Now that side was made for you and me! Chorus In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple Near the relief office - I see my people And some are grumblin' and some are wonderin' If this land's still made for you and me. Chorus (2x)
And here we have Woody himself singing his wonderful song:
(not a great video, but you get to hear the original song.)
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