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Originally titled "God Blessed America," Guthrie wrote this as a parody of Irving Berlin's "God Bless America." It evolved into a hippie anthem, but has since been misinterpreted as a patriotic song. The lyrics express Guthrie's belief that the working class should have the same rights as the rich.

Anna Canoni is Guthrie's granddaughter and a director at the Woody Guthrie Foundation. She considers this one of Guthrie's most powerful songs. Says Anna: "It's the most famous, but there's a reason why it's the most famous. I think that often people will just look at the words on the surface and not really look into what he's talking about. But when Woody wrote, he wrote in double entendres, and sometimes triple. And there's enough to keep you thinking. I think his music was really to keep you thinking and start up a conversation. It wasn't just something nice to listen to, it's something that needs to be said to begin a discussion. And I would define that as great songwriting. So 'This Land Is Your Land' would fit into that."

Guthrie got the melody for this song from a Carter Family tune. Canoni explains: "He wrote music and he could play a ton of different instruments, but his strength was certainly his lyric writing. He would often borrow tunes. As Woody put it, 'Well, if they already know the tune, they're halfway to knowing the song.'

The Carter Family was certainly a big influence on him. He always loved the idea of having a family band. His mother was his other main music influence, she used to sing these old Scotch-Irish ballads. And you could even see on the lyrics that he even wrote - he wrote "To the tune of..." and he would reference either another song he'd written or one by someone else." (Thanks to Anna Canoni for speaking with us about this song. Read more in her full interview. Learn much more at the official Woody Guthrie website.)

Guthrie changed the lyrics over the years, performing it differently many times.

Guthrie wrote this in 1940, but didn't record it until 1944. It was not released until 1951.

Bruce Springsteen covered this on his boxed set Live 1975-1985. After having "Born In The U.S.A." misinterpreted by politicians as a patriotic anthem, this had special relevance to him. Other artists who recorded the song include Tennessee Ernie Ford, Lee Greenwood, The Kingston Trio, Trini Lopez, The New Christy Minstrels, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and Pete Seeger.

Ronald Reagan used this in his 1984 re-election campaign. Considering this the height of hypocrisy, Bruce Springsteen started performing it, trying to get Guthrie's message across.

This gained renewed popularity after the 2001 terrorist attacks on America. Many artists performed it in an effort to bring people together after the tragedy.

Comments:

Tom Morrelo From rage against the machine also does a cover of this song on his solo stuff (the nightwatchmen) he commented on how it was popular for children in school where they only use the 1st verse and leave out everything else , making the song appear completely what it isn't. and i agree
- Kody, Martinsville, IN

Bruce Springsteen has covered this and I think Bob Dylan, who was greatly influenced by Guthrie, also did a cover.
- Joel, Tulsa, OK

This song shows us what patriotism really is: the love of one's homeland and the people in it, and the belief that the land belongs to everyone. Too often, "patriotism" is used as a term for nationalism, which is too often subverted toward other agendae (e.g., If you are patriotic, you support invasions of Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.) and is enforced with violence. Woody Guthrie, perhaps more than any other songwriter, composed from both the heart and the gut--which is why this song, and others he wrote and sang, work so well.
- MusicMama, New York, NY

i hate how people go down to the fifth on "waters"
- Echo, Normalville, MA

I LOVE this song also. Just another Guthrie classic. Sadly, quickly being forgotten, like many other great musicians.
- Jon, Oakridge, OR

This song is sooooooooo emotional. whenever i hear it i brek down in tears of pity and overwhelming joy. This song has been stuct in my head for ever
- Bob, N. Riverside, IL

There's a live verwsion of this that Bob Dylan performed. I can't remember where it was recorded at the moment, but it is on the No Direction Home sound track.
- Stefanie, Rock Hill, SC

I never really paid attention to the words before, and hadn't known all of them. I now get the message that Woody was trying to tell us. Unfortunately, I don't think plliticians are going to stop misinterpreting songs such as this and "Born in the U.S.A." any time soon.
- Stefanie, Rock Hill, SC

woody guthrie had a good sense if humor and wrote a very nice parody of his own son: "This land is my land! It is not your land! I got a shot gun And you ain't got one! If you don't get off I'll blow you're head off!" and it goes on. you get the idea.
- Loretta, Liverpool, England