Monday, August 15, 2005

 

Apologies To Woody Guthrie...........

Woody Guthrie was a great "American Poet", and his words are just as meaningful today, as they were during the "dustbowl days" of the "dirty 30's". Woody personally experienced poverty, and was actually involved in unionizing fruit-pickers, and became a voice of the down-trodden through his songs. If you ever get a chance to see the movie "Bound For Glory", watch it. It is the story of Woody's life, with David Carradine playing Woody. It isn't quite as good as "The Grapes Of Wrath", but I would still consider it time well-spent (watch Bound For Glory movie trailer)! Anyways, Woody's song "This Land Was Made For You And Me" is a masterpiece, and many countries have adopted the song, and adapted it using their own geographic jewels, including Canada. Here is how Woody wrote it, with crossed-out original lyrics in [ ]:


[God Blessed America]
This Land Was Made For You And Me

This land is your land, this land is my land
From [the] California to the [Staten] New York Island,
From the Redwood Forest, to the Gulf stream waters,
[God blessed America for me.]
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
And saw above me that endless skyway,
And saw below me the golden valley, I said:
[God blessed America for me.]

I roamed and rambled and followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts,
And all around me , a voice was sounding:
[God blessed America for me.]

Was a high wall there that tried to stop me
A sign was painted said: Private Property,
But on the back side it didn't say nothing --
[God blessed America for me.]

When the sun come shining, then I was strolling
In wheat fields waving and dust clouds rolling;
The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting:
[God blessed America for me.]

One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple
By the Relief Office I saw my people --
As they stood hungry, I stood there wondering if
[God blessed America for me.]


*all you can write is
what you see.
Original copy of this song


WOODY G.

N.Y., N.Y., N.Y.,
Feb 23, 1940
43rd Street & 6th Avenue
Hanover House

Anyways, this past winter I heard another version, and it is hilarious. The boys at JibJab have very fertile minds. There is no offense meant to anyone, but it is a very unique look at some of our most well-known politicians! With apologies to Woody, (although I'm sure he would approve) here is;

ANIMATION and AUDIO - "This Land"

(P.S. - here is a copyright notice Woody Guthrie once attached to his work.

"This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin’ it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don’t give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that’s all we wanted to do."


As you can see, Woody liked humour also, and his words were for everyone.)

Woody Guthrie Biography

Official Woody Guthrie Homepage

Till next time,

"Arrividerci".........

# posted by Steve @ 5:36 PM
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