PRESENTATION BY: BEN BUHL

This Land Is Your LandBy: Woody Guthrie

Lyrics

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

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

Next back to repetition back to symbolism

Lyrics

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

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

Nextback to assonance

Lyrics

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!

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.

2x

Back

Summary

To me, this song represents the working class of America in the 1940’s and how they worked hard to earn their rights in our country and what they did to get through the hard times.

The United States had just got out of the Great Depression and the song alludes to highways, meaning the working class built highways to get out of the depression and they got the USA out the depression, not the rich people.

History of the song

The song was first written in 1940 by Woody Guthrie

It was first recorded in 1944

The song wasn’t published until 1951

History of the song

Woody wrote the song because he was sick of hearing Kate Smith sing “God Bless America” on the radio

He wrote it to the same tune and melody of “God Bless America” just with different lyrics

History of the song

At first, the song was hippie anthem, now it is interpreted as a patriotic song

The lyrics say that the working class should have the same rights as the rich

This song has been used by past president Reagan, for his re-election to show he wanted to help the working class Americans

History of the song

After the terrorists attacks on 9/11 many singers sang this song for inspiration and to bring people back together after the tragedy

Many singers have taken the song and changed the name and a few lyrics to make it more of their own song

Symbolism

This song symbolizes America and the working class and how they think they deserve as many rights as the rich people in the country

Back to lyrics

Repetition

The song the chorus is repeated:

Back to lyrics

Narrative Poetry

Narrative Poetry would be the person walking down the high way, seeing the whole country and them saying that it is there’s just as much as someone else more powerful then them.

lyrics

Assonance

In almost every verse in the song, there are two end words that rhyme.

Lyrics

Citations

Guthrie, Woody, Mr., prod. http://www.arlo.net/resources/lyrics/      this-land.shtml. TRO-Ludlow Music, Inc., 1956. Web. 13 May 2010.      <http://v>.

http://www.usm.maine.edu/~rabrams/Woody_Guthrie.jpg."      http://www.usm.maine.edu/~rabrams/Woody_Guthrie.jpg. Music and Labor      , n.d. Web. 17 May 2010. <http://www.usm.maine.edu/~rabrams/      Woody_Guthrie.jpg>.