THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
A little song to ponder as we wait with baited breath
to see what the final health care reform proposal looks
like, and hope that some steps are taken to prevent
another economic meltdown from unregulated gambling on
Wall Street.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
words and music by Woody Guthrie
Chorus:
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
Chorus
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
Chorus
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
Chorus
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!
Chorus
In the squares of the city -
In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office - I see my people
And some are grumblin' and some are wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me
In memory of the Great Health Care Debate that
never happened, as too much of what should have
been debated was deemed "politically unfeasible".
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Thanks.
November 11, 2009 7:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
A well-done version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5KnYADCSms
November 11, 2009 7:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Beautiful! Thank you. I’ve been hearing this song in my head a lot the last few months for some reason...
November 11, 2009 8:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great juxtaposition of images and lyrics, Miguelito. Woody would have approved the irony. He certainly would have approved your inclusion of the less upbeat and more radical verses.
The words were his, the music came from a Baptist hymn.
November 11, 2009 8:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds like the health care bills will get weaker as the White House continues to push for the 'trigger' con. I'll be writing my reps to ask them to make sure they 'trigger' that mandate as well.
What a freakin' mess things are!
It may be ours but right now it's a money trap and a real fixer-upper:)
November 11, 2009 8:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
"A money trap and a real fixer-upper". That's an apt description of a plan that seems destined to expand coverage without controlling costs.
November 11, 2009 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well done! I just got back from a Veteran's Day dinner put on by our community. It honored all vets from all branches in all eras, and it was really quite moving.
But as a quintet sang "This Land is Your Land" tonight (are there any real coincidences?) my husband turned to me and said "I wonder how many of these good Republicans know Woody wrote this as a protest song?"
They are basically good people, but I think they would not like it if they knew. And they SURELY would not like your interpretation. They prefer to believe that keeping government out of our lives is the only path to good stewardship, and the proof is in "This land is your land. This land is my land." (They didn't get to the choruses.)
And by the way. Since we live in the north woods, where logging trucks are nearly as common as 4WD's, they would think your photo of a pile of destroyed trees was pretty neat.
November 11, 2009 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Woody inspired this song of mine on YouTube. It's not one of my songs for sale from iTunes or other vendors, but done just for the sake of an environmental tribute, helped along by the availability of Windows Moviemaker for those of us who don't have professional movie-making skills.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07wAC5iy5t4
Anyone is welcome to download it.
November 11, 2009 9:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks!
November 12, 2009 8:15 AM | Reply | Permalink
Most people sing that song as if the refrain were true, and they are just acknowledging the fact. That last line really puts the song's intent into perspective. You need to put yourself in the position of a dustbowl farmer who's just spent the last of their material wealth to make it to the promised land of California, only to be turned away if they didn't have enough money to satisfy the local constabulary.
November 11, 2009 11:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've also heard Fred Barnes dismiss the song as a "socialist anthem."
November 12, 2009 12:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
Deoxy.org/geoman.htm
Antero Alli's "The Akashic Record Player"
I wish I had more to day. Armistice Day shuts my mouth and opens my mind. I wish that minute of silence at 11:11 would enshroud the whole world for days, maybe years.
November 11, 2009 9:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Remarkable Zip. I don't know quite what to do with the information, but rest assured it is not wasted on me. One of my favorite quotes was:
I was also struck by: "The Planet Earth Is In Labor AND We Are The Mid-Wives". That statement mirrored the closing statement of Hopi kiva ceremony I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend some years ago. We were urged to send out our positive wishes to the Earth, which is, (or was), pregnant to help it give birth to a new age.
November 11, 2009 11:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I must render to you the Dayly Blog of the Day Award for this here TPMCafe Site, given to all of you from all of me.
THIS IS MY NATIONAL ANTHEM.
November 11, 2009 10:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Dick.
November 11, 2009 10:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Life would be such a drag with out libs to laugh at.
November 11, 2009 10:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
Or dimwits that can't spell "without."
November 11, 2009 10:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Drars. stinking public schools did it to me again!
November 11, 2009 11:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
That and fat fingers.
November 11, 2009 11:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah. If conservatives weren't so destructive, I'd enjoy laughing at them too.
November 11, 2009 11:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hmm, libs just destroy different things than conservatives. Go worship a tree and all will be better.
November 11, 2009 11:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks! Now I feel compelled to laugh at you Shawn. :)
November 11, 2009 11:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I do what I can to bring joy to those who have no hope.
I do find it odd that libs are pissed at logging companies for cutting down trees when we have this horrible CO2 problem. I figured you guys would be pleased with their work to end climate change.
November 11, 2009 11:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting trying to have a scientific discussion with someone who obviously doesn't understand the Krebs cycle. Fly away Shawn. You're in over your head, (as usual, I suspect).
November 12, 2009 12:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here's some background material for you before you get too far lost in oxidative phosphorylation.
November 12, 2009 12:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
I really appreciate your help. Maybe I was trying to over simplify it by thinking that if there were fewer trees, there would be less oxygen for us evil humans.
Granted, the logging companies replace the trees they cut down so they can harvest them in the future, so it defeats any cure they may provide.
My bad, I'll live in the cement jungle, and take the tram, to repent of my sins.
November 12, 2009 12:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Dem are not redwoods" said the old logger who had logged so long that he changed his telephone number to: "tree tree tree - fir tree fir tree."
November 11, 2009 10:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Granted neo. I couldn't find any good current redwood logging pics. ;)
November 11, 2009 10:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, heck, it was just a set-up for my joke. But redwoods are easy to spot...they look like giant sinsemilla buds :-0
November 12, 2009 10:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
This land was never "made for you and me," and the (whitte) public has enthusiastically contributed to the environmental devastation of the "New World" ever since 1492.
November 12, 2009 8:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Woo-ee. That certainly isolates the blame on a raciallly based, yet politically correct basis. Guess we know who tomorrow's kulaks will be in your social bible.
Great post, though, Miguel.
November 12, 2009 10:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Personally, I blame SAN FRANCISCO CURT! HE'S THE BASTID WOT DON IT!
I like my blame-laying to be as precise as possible.
November 12, 2009 11:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the reminder, Miguel. Nice presentation.
In other news: On any given night in Los Angeles, about 17,000 parents and children are homeless. A UN investigator (denied entry by Bush) reports on our shameless treatment of the poor and homeless.
November 12, 2009 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
The homeless issue makes me physically ill Don. 3M Americans homeless at some point during the year, while the top 10 recipients of the federal government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) collectively paid their CEOs an average of $25 million in total annual compensation in 2007. Those were the executives who presided over the 10 financial firms most likely to fail under the stewardship of that particular pool of "talent". Our economic priorities reveal our inhumanity.
November 12, 2009 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yes. Our “deciders” should be constantly reminded of this. Policy issues are moral issues. Budget decisions should follow our ethics, not the other way around.
November 12, 2009 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
This made me cry.
November 12, 2009 11:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Awesome post, miguelitoh2o.
November 12, 2009 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink