“This Land Is Your Land” (3)

Guthrie‘s original lyrics to the song included this social commentary (similar to the last verse):

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me.
The sign was painted, said ‘Private Property.’
But on the backside, it didn’t say nothing.
This land was made for you and me.

C’era un alto muro che cercava di fermarmi
e il cartello che vi era dipinto diceva “Proprietà privata”
ma dall’altra parte non c’era scritto niente
quella parte è stata creata per te e per me

This verse was sung at rallies, around campfires and in progressive schools, with some slight variations.

Another radical verse he wrote but never officially recorded was:

One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple,
By the relief office I saw my people.
As they stood there hungry, I stood there wondering
if God blessed America for you and me.

In una bella mattina di sole, all’ombra del campanile,
 ho visto la mia gente vicino all’Ufficio Assistenza
mentre erano lì in piedi, affamati, io ero lì a chiedermi
se Dio avesse benedetto l’America anche per te e per me.

 

(The relief office was one of the symbols of the great depression, today known as the welfare department)

A final verse may be:

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.

Nessuno potrà mai fermarmi
mentre percorro quella grande strada della libertà
nessun vivente potrà mai farmi tornare indietro
questa terra è stata creata per te e per me

 

His friend Pete Seeger often performed with him and included Guthrie’s omitted verses. Seeger says that when he first heard the song, he thought it was a little too simple, but then realized that it was its simplicity that gave it such a wide appeal, and made it brilliant. When Seeger performed the song, he would sometimes call out the lyrics line by line just before singing them so the audience would know what to sing along.

Bruce Springsteen covered this song: after having “Born In The U.S.A.” misinterpreted by politicians as a patriotic anthem, this song had special relevance to him.
It gained renewed popularity after the 2001 terrorist attacks on America. Many artists performed it in an effort to bring people together after the tragedy.