“This Land is Your Land”

As I went out walking I saw a sign there,
And on the sign it said, "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.
                      --Woody Guthrie, "This Land is Your Land"*

 July 14^th marks the birthday of Woody Guthrie—one of America’s most influential folk singers. Guthrie, born in Oklahoma, came of age during the Dust Bowl and was one of thousands of “Okies” who migrated to California in search of work. Often concerned with the lives and experiences of the dispossessed, Guthrie was heavily influenced and wrote in the custom of traditional American folk music. Woody Guthrie in turn, served as an influence to subsequent generations of musicians ranging from Bob Dylan to Billy Bragg and Wilco.

Click here to listen to a recording of Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly performing on live on WNYC in 1940.

 

Check out Ramblin’ Man: The Life and Times of Woody Guthrie by Ed Cray for an authoritative biography.

As a supplement and way to better understand Guthrie’s process, you may want to look at Woody Guthrie: Art Works.

Online, you can visit Woody Guthrie and the Archive of American Folk Song (hosted by the Library of Congress).

And visit The Official Woody Guthrie Site (hosted by the Woody Guthrie Foundation) which offers an extensive biography and sampling of lyrics.  BES

*Guthrie, Woody.  "This Land is Your Land".  This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings Vol. 1.  Smithsonian Folkways, 1997.