Oh Guthrie. We have been so naive.

Aha! Something so ironic, it makes me laugh. I will expand...

FREEZE.*suspense.*PAUSE.

PLAY: I recently had a conversation with a friend about the Woody Guthrie song, "This Land Is Your Land". She shocked me by informing me that this song (the one that most of us would define as the "unofficial anthem" of America, and subconsciously know just about all the words to) is in actuality a flaming protest song (no negative connotation here folks).

I mean, it just about screams 'America!' all throughout the chorus. The landscape is beautiful. Wonderous even. Take a gander:

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

So here I am, eager to tell you about the verses... The song's verses evolve from the sweet and scenic image of America, right into how the original Americans came to take the land. There were boundaries and prior establishments made. But yet, here come the Americans, thirsty for new land, illegally obtaining it. Guthrie does well to illustrate it as shocking and unethical.

Take a moment to read and breathe the last two verses of the song:

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.

Thought provoking. Ironic. Sarcastic. I will go as far as saying that Woody Guthrie totally outscores Alanis Morissette in the "ironic" department (hint: that was a joke).

So now I will leave you with this classic tune:

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND

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.

Chorus (2x)