Presentation by: Ben Buhl

1
This Land Is Your LandBy Woody Guthrie

• Presentation by Ben Buhl

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Lyrics

• 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
• 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
• Next back to repetition back to symbolism

3
Lyrics

• 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
• 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
• Next back to assonance

4
Lyrics

• 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!
• 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.
• 2x
• Back

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Summary

• To me, this song represents the working class of
  America in the 1940s and how they worked hard to
  earn their rights in our country and what they
  did to get through the hard times.
• The United States had just got out of the Great
  Depression and the song alludes to highways,
  meaning the working class built highways to get
  out of the depression and they got the USA out
  the depression, not the rich people.

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History of the song

• The song was first written in 1940 by Woody
  Guthrie
• It was first recorded in 1944
• The song wasnt published until 1951

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History of the song

• Woody wrote the song because he was sick of
  hearing Kate Smith sing God Bless America on
  the radio
• He wrote it to the same tune and melody of God
  Bless America just with different lyrics

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History of the song

• At first, the song was hippie anthem, now it is
  interpreted as a patriotic song
• The lyrics say that the working class should have
  the same rights as the rich
• This song has been used by past president Reagan,
  for his re-election to show he wanted to help the
  working class Americans

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History of the song

• After the terrorists attacks on 9/11 many singers
  sang this song for inspiration and to bring
  people back together after the tragedy
• Many singers have taken the song and changed the
  name and a few lyrics to make it more of their
  own song

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Symbolism

• This song symbolizes America and the working
  class and how they think they deserve as many
  rights as the rich people in the country
• Back to lyrics

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Repetition

• The song the chorus is repeated
• Back to lyrics

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Narrative Poetry

• Narrative Poetry would be the person walking down
  the high way, seeing the whole country and them
  saying that it is theres just as much as someone
  else more powerful then them.
• lyrics

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Assonance

• In almost every verse in the song, there are two
  end words that rhyme.
• Lyrics

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Citations

• Guthrie, Woody, Mr., prod. http//www.arlo.net/res
  ources/lyrics/      this-land.shtml. TRO-Ludlow
  Music, Inc., 1956. Web. 13 May 2010.
       lthttp//vgt.
• http//www.usm.maine.edu/rabrams/Woody_Guthrie.jp
  g."      http//www.usm.maine.edu/rabrams/Woody_
  Guthrie.jpg. Music and Labor      , n.d. Web. 17
  May 2010. lthttp//www.usm.maine.edu/rabrams/
       Woody_Guthrie.jpggt.