Something for the weekend: Woody Guthrie “This Land is Your Land”

Happy May Day comrades – a day that we should celebrate this year of all years given the sacrifices so many frontline workers are making at the moment. Showing appreciation through clapping is cathartic and an important demonstration of our strength of feeling, but those individuals we’re applauding might appreciate more the same things every generation of workers have wanted: stable funding, decent pay and safe conditions in which to work – outrageous demands, I know.. We leave you then this week dear reader with one of the US’s most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by Woody Guthrie in 1940, based on an existing melody, a Carter Family tune called ‘When the World’s on Fire’, in critical response to Irving Berlin’s ‘God Bless America.’  Its sentiment never gets old – solidarity with your neighbour is what will get us through the worst of times. Have a good one and take care.

 

About Mark Whitfield 2065 Articles
Editor of Americana UK website, the UK's leading home for americana news and reviews since 2001 (when life was simpler, at least for the first 253 days)
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