This Is Your Land by Simple Minds

Album: Street Fighting Years (1989)

Charted: 13

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

The song is a commentary on environmental issues. Jim Kerr said in NME February 4, 1989: "There's one called 'This Is Your Land,' which might sound terribly contrived, but it's probably because we've been up here recording it amongst the very elements, the mountains, the sea the sky. You see all this and then you see the nuclear submarines passing your window. It's obscene, and people should take charge of their land and not let it happen."
This features backing vocals from Lou Reed, a hero of the band. "We managed to sort of coerce him into coming down to the studio and singing on one of our songs," Jim Kerr said in a Songfacts interview. "I was terrified because I'd also heard these stories, and you could see he had that look. If anyone had told you he was difficult, it wouldn't have been hard to imagine, just by his look. And so, I was terrified. But, in fact, he couldn't have been sweeter."
This was chosen as the first single off the album in the States, however it failed to make the pop charts there. In the UK it was the follow up to the chart topping "Belfast Child."

Comments: 1

Dave from Cardiff, WalesIt was the follow-up to the chart-topping "Belfast Child/Mandela Day" and was also followed into the UK Top 20 by "Kick It In". The album "Street Fighting Years" also included a cover of Peter Gabriel's "Biko", and the album is full of what critics of the time described as "UK protest music/political commentary"

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Heartbreak HotelElvis Presley

The lyrics to "Heartbreak Hotel" were written by a steel guitar player who was once a dishwasher repairman. He was inspired by a newspaper story about a man who killed himself and left behind a note saying only, "I walk a lonely street."

Hey BrotherAvicii

Dan Tyminski, the singer on Avicii's "Hey Brother" is the same guy who sang lead vocal on "A Man Of Constant Sorrow" in the movie O’ Brother, Where Art Thou.

Lady MarmaladeLabelle

"Lady Marmalade" is the only song to hit #1 twice in both the UK and US.

Hey MamaDavid Guetta

The bedrock of David Guetta's Nicki Minaj-featuring single "Hey Mama" is a sample of "Rosie," a 1940s prison recording from folk archivist Alan Lomax that songwriter Esther Dean first showed the French DJ on YouTube.

Rolling In The DeepAdele

Adele got the title "Rolling In The Deep" from the British saying "Roll Deep," which means to look after someone. She was "rolling deep" with her boyfriend until he betrayed her.

Open Your HeartMadonna

The kid in Madonna's "Open Your Heart" video became a successful songwriter. His songs include Amy Winehouse's "You Sent Me Flying" and James Blunt's "1973."