There was so much we missed of the exuberance and celebration revolving around this Presidential Inauguration. The youtube video below is one example. Pete Seeger, his grandson Tao Rodriquez, and Bruce Springsteen sing Woody Guthries' "This Land is Your Land" at the Lincoln Memorial. Very powerful. Watch Woody as he almost cannot contain his joy! I've placed the video at the very bottom of the blog here. I hadn't before thought much about this song until I just finished reading The Grapes of Wrath again. Let me know if you enjoy this video as much as I did. Here are the lyrics so you can sing along:
This Land is Your Land - 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.
1 comment:
Yes Vicki, this was such a powerful moment. A lot of years coming to that song being sung sung including "subversive" verses talking about hunger and walls and freedom.
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