Monday, February 25, 2013

Depression-era folk singer Woody Guthrie rambled across the country


Woody Guthrie
Originally uploaded by frailamerica
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie ( 1912 – 1967) was an American singer-songwriter and folk musician whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works, says Wikipedia.

He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his guitar. His best-known song is "This Land Is Your Land."

Such songwriters as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Pete Seeger, Joe Strummer and Jeff Tweedy have acknowledged Guthrie as a major influence.

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
words and music by Woody Guthrie

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

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

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!

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