“This Land Is Your Land,” by Woody Guthrie, a popular American folk song among patriots, was originally created as a criticism of Capitalism and the U.S. government by a Communist labor organizer.

This Land Is Your Land

Woody Guthrie in March 1943

Sheet music

“This Land Is Your Land” is one of the United States’ most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by American folk singer Woody Guthrie in 1940, based on an existing melody, a Carter Family tune called “When the World’s on Fire”, in critical response to Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America.” When Guthrie was tired of hearing Kate Smith sing “God Bless America” on the radio in the late 1930s, he sarcastically called his song “God Blessed America for Me” before renaming it “This Land Is Your Land.”

In 2002, “This Land Is Your Land” was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

Melody

Guthrie’s melody was very si… Continue Reading (14 minute read)