This Land Is Your Land

Unpacking the song and our national character

Many have said that the national anthem should be changed to the Woody Guthrie penned standard, “This Land is Your Land.”

Oh it won’t ever be, and there are far more pressing issues in our country than this, but I’d support it if it ever came to a vote or something.

I remember first learning it in grade school. It was the sanitized version, of course, without the verses that are critical of capitalism, so basically what you’re left with is a nice song about how pretty our nation is. It might as well have been written by the National Parks Department. Check out how nice this place is! It’s for you and me, so let’s take care of it!

"Woody Guthrie's original lyrics to 'This Land is Your Land'" by TheSeafarer is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Which is a good message, yes, but the song is that much better with the mildly subversive lines left in.

As I went walking I saw a sign there,
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing.
That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.

You can almost imagine Woody rambling across the country, on foot, by thumbed ride, via rattling boxcar, taking in the glorious physical beauty of the nation and proclaiming, “See this? It’s for all of us!”

But then you can imagine the sorrow and anger that arises from being kept out of a beautiful place because someone had the audacity to claim that they could own it and declare others “trespassers”. You can imagine the sorrow of anger that arises from seeing other normal people, not working or enjoying beautiful sites, but instead hungrily waiting in a long relief line. Whose land is this REALLY? You’re not going to see the guy who owns the pretty beachfront property in this line.

So the last verse becomes important—the verse about continuing on the freedom highway. It reminds me of those who say that no one is truly free until we are all free. It reminds me of the sect of Buddhism that believes that one cannot find enlightenment until everyone else finds it too. It’s a beautiful message. We’re all in this together.

Not everyone would have this reaction to these scenes. In fact, the very reason why there is a sanitized version of the song, beyond the underestimation of the intellect of children to understand the more “controversial” lyrics, is that some would rather concentrate on the pretty things and pretend the ugliness isn’t there or to sweep it under the rug. Hide the homeless people from the tourists. Put a fresh coat of paint on the crumbling facade. And don’t talk about it. This land was made for you and me…with an asterisk. The “you and me” are those who conform to the norms of polite society and it’s best just to avoid the things that make us uncomfortable.

Some, instead of ignoring, might be outwardly hostile toward the poor people and the rambling vagabond population. Get a job, they might say. Quit expecting handouts. I am self-made and work hard, how dare you expect me to care about you! This land was made for me because I earned it. And people like me. Get out if you don’t like it.

But Woody Guthrie was brave enough, astute enough, and empathetic enough to know that not only should the downtrodden be seen and the difficult questions be asked, but that yes, this land is made for them too. And that the reasons they are in the relief lines are more complicated than those that disparage them probably realize. Maybe the migrant family isn’t that different from you. They just want to live freely in this beautiful land too.

And that’s the amazing subtle power of this song. It starts by painting the picture of vastness and abundance and basically says, “Look how gorgeous and how plentiful all of this is.” It’s basically “My Country Tis Of Thee” for those first few verses.

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 that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway;
I saw below me that golden valley;
This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled and I 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.

Then the next verse is interesting. It is still generally positive. It’s still about the sun shining and the wheat fields rolling. But it also mentions dust clouds and fog. There are hints that maybe something ominous is brewing.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
This land was made for you and me.

Then it starts up with those last three subversive verses I highlighted earlier. And they are only powerful when they are viewed through the lens of beauty and abundance. You can’t start with, “Look at the broken place we live with all of its problems.” Because then of course you expect the brokenness to continue.

But if a place is beautiful and plentiful and then you introduce the contradictions, it makes you wonder, “How can this be okay in a place so beautiful and plentiful?” You are forced to imagine what lies behind the walls that say “No trespassing”. Who lives there? What are they like? What entitles them to this place? You are forced to reckon with the hungry people who are somehow hungry in the land of plenty. Is this land really for them? What are they like? Where am I in this story?

With the last verse about continuing on the freedom highway, and being unable to turn back, Woody explains where he is in the story. He has seen all of it—good, bad, and ugly—and knows he can’t unsee it, nor does he want to unsee it. He is on the freedom highway, which is only true to its name when all are free. He doesn’t ask you if you are there with him on that highway, but the question is implied. In fact he’s already taken you down it. He’s not turning back. Now that you know what he saw, are you?

It’s a perfect encapsulation of what makes the American story a complicated one. And that’s why I’d vote for it to be the national anthem if it ever came to that. It doesn’t say, “I hate this place because of its injustices.” Nor does it say, “Don’t tell me about how hard you have it. You live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.” It says, look how beautiful this is and just imagine what it would be like if we were all truly free to enjoy it to its full, untapped potential. It’s yours and it’s mine…all of it…the beauty and the struggle. How do we walk forward together, knowing what we know?

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Freedom isn’t free.” It’s usually invoked when talking about the sacrifices of our service men and women. And it’s certainly applicable to their sacrifices. This beautiful nation and our democracy has been paid many thousands of times over with the sacrifices of their service and for this we should be eternally grateful.

But freedom isn’t free for any of us. The freedom highway is a tollway. Democracy and freedom are not easy. But aren’t they worth it? We pay with the knowledge of knowing that there are no easy answers. It’s our job to not turn away, to not turn back, and to realize that my brothers and sisters who I share this land with are not my enemy. It’s our job to pave a path for all of us because there’s plenty to go around.

But you also have the freedom to turn away. It’s sort of the double edged sword of democracy. We’re stronger when we participate, but also, no one can force you to.

So ultimately it’s up to you to decide your role on the freedom highway. You can look at the sites and only the sites. You can get angry at those who mar the scenery by putting their struggles on full display. You can see it all and choose to pay the toll not just for yourself, but for all who travel the highway.

I’ve been thinking about Woody Guthrie a lot lately. And I’ve been thinking a lot about this song in particular and what it means for our current times. “This land was made for you and me” is such powerful line. The more you think about it, the more complicated it gets. It has a multitude of possible meanings. It could be touching on a variety of topics if you let it.

But it’s also incredibly simple. We all have to live somewhere and we live here. You AND me. We don’t live in a bubble. And that’s incredibly hard sometimes. There’s a lot going on that’s both overt and a little under the surface. And we have lots of decisions to make with what to do with this information…and with what to do with our relationships to and amongst our neighbors. It’s not easy, but it’s ours.

Tuesday is important for a variety of reasons, but essentially those who participate in the election will be saying what they are doing with this information about ourselves, our land, our neighbors, our leaders, our character, and about who this land is truly for.

I’ll be choosing to walk alongside Woody down that freedom highway. There’s plenty of space for you to join me.