This Land Is Your Land Lyrics And Chords
The Irish version by Barleycorn is first. Charlie And The Bhoys Celtic Songs also recorded the Irish version. The guitar chords in chordpro format are in D, G and A Major and suited to the American version of the song. This Irish version is sang by the fans of Celtic Football Club of Glasgow Scotland.
Irish Lyrics Version Guitar Chords In D
This[D] land is[G] your land,this land is[D] my land,
From the northern[A] highlands,to the western[D] islands,
From the hills of[G] Kerry,to the streets of[D] Derry,
[A]This land was made for you and[D] me,
[2]
As I was walking by the Shannon water,hand in hand there with my little daughter,
Heard the church bell ringing,heard the children singing,
This land was made for you and me,
[3]
So we climbed the mountain by the chrystle fountain,
And we watchen the waves roar by the rocky seashore,
And the sun was shining and she cried oh daddy,
This land was made for you and me.
[4]
So I walked her home then,by the village steaple,
Proud of my country,proud of my people,
Of the men who cried there,amd the men who died there,
Saying this land was made for you and me.
This[D] land is[G] your land,this land is[D] my land,
From the northern[A] highlands,to the western[D] islands,
From the hills of[G] Kerry,to the streets of[D] Derry,
[A]This land was made for you and[D] me,
[2]
As I was walking by the Shannon water,hand in hand there with my little daughter,
Heard the church bell ringing,heard the children singing,
This land was made for you and me,
[3]
So we climbed the mountain by the chrystle fountain,
And we watchen the waves roar by the rocky seashore,
And the sun was shining and she cried oh daddy,
This land was made for you and me.
[4]
So I walked her home then,by the village steaple,
Proud of my country,proud of my people,
Of the men who cried there,amd the men who died there,
Saying this land was made for you and me.
This Land Is You Land In The Key Of G Major
This[G] land is[C] your land,this land is[G] my land,
From the northern[D] highlands,to the western[G] islands,
From the hills of[C] Kerry,to the streets of[G] Derry,
[D]This land was made for you and[G] me.
Key Of A Major
This[A] land is[D] your land,this land is[A] my land,
From the northern[E] highlands,to the western[A] islands,
From the hills of[D] Kerry,to the streets of[A] Derry,
[E]This land was made for you and[A] 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
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
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
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.
This[G] land is[C] your land,this land is[G] my land,
From the northern[D] highlands,to the western[G] islands,
From the hills of[C] Kerry,to the streets of[G] Derry,
[D]This land was made for you and[G] me.
Key Of A Major
This[A] land is[D] your land,this land is[A] my land,
From the northern[E] highlands,to the western[A] islands,
From the hills of[D] Kerry,to the streets of[A] Derry,
[E]This land was made for you and[A] 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
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
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
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.
It was back in 1947 when Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (Woody) got a telegram from the U.S. Department of Interior, Bonne- ville Power/Adm., to come out to Oregon from NY to "Sing .. Columbia River Songs... (where)... your songs ... were meant to be sung." He came to me with this telegram for expense money and advances for recording of whatever new songs would come out of this trip. Woody in his own words always said that he was against songs that "... made you feel no good... bound to lose..." pokes fun at you or the world because you were down and out. "I am out to prove to you that this world is about yourself and your work... and the songs I sing are made up by all sorts of folks just like you."
When he got back he recorded these songs. Woody, the ever optimist who knew from his experiences that the only way to success and positive action was militancy, saw the possibility of his creation and philosophy lose its audience and popular appeal disintegrate. Thus he lost all hope of living. Hunting- ton's chorea attacked him and after nine years in hospitals he succumbed and passed away on October 3rd, 1967. Had he had only a little more patience and a little more faith in man, he would have survived and be part of the movements all around us of the fight for the right of man and his expres- sions. Little did Woody dream that a nation with all its bureau- cratic and officious skin would, sooner than expected, honor him both officially-(read the citation above) and by popular ovation. There is no school in America that has not taken "This Land Is Your Land" to its assembly program and thus to its heart.
dedicated to Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (Woody)
by his friend and recorder
Moses Asch, director Folkways Records
When he got back he recorded these songs. Woody, the ever optimist who knew from his experiences that the only way to success and positive action was militancy, saw the possibility of his creation and philosophy lose its audience and popular appeal disintegrate. Thus he lost all hope of living. Hunting- ton's chorea attacked him and after nine years in hospitals he succumbed and passed away on October 3rd, 1967. Had he had only a little more patience and a little more faith in man, he would have survived and be part of the movements all around us of the fight for the right of man and his expres- sions. Little did Woody dream that a nation with all its bureau- cratic and officious skin would, sooner than expected, honor him both officially-(read the citation above) and by popular ovation. There is no school in America that has not taken "This Land Is Your Land" to its assembly program and thus to its heart.
dedicated to Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (Woody)
by his friend and recorder
Moses Asch, director Folkways Records
America Is My Land Lyrics
Verse 1:
From the mountains high, to the ocean shore
There's a place I call home, forevermore
Where the fields are vast, and the skies are blue
Where my dreams can come true, in all that I do
Chorus:
America, America, my land so grand
From sea to shining sea, forever I'll stand
With pride in my heart, for all that we've achieved
In this land of opportunity, America is my land, and I believe
Verse 2:
From the bustling cities, to the small town streets
There's a unity here, that can't be beat
Where the diversity brings us together
As we stand strong, through any weather
Chorus:
America, America, my land so grand
From sea to shining sea, forever I'll stand
With pride in my heart, for all that we've achieved
In this land of opportunity, America is my land, and I believe
Bridge:
We may not be perfect, but we're still strong
And we'll keep fighting, for what we know is right and wrong
For the land of the free, and the home of the brave
America is where, my heart will always stay
Chorus:
America, America, my land so grand
From sea to shining sea, forever I'll stand
With pride in my heart, for all that we've achieved
In this land of opportunity, America is my land, and I believe
Outro:
America is my land, and I'll never forget
The sacrifices made, to make it the best
I'll stand tall and proud, for all to see
That America is my land, and it will always be.
Verse 1:
From the mountains high, to the ocean shore
There's a place I call home, forevermore
Where the fields are vast, and the skies are blue
Where my dreams can come true, in all that I do
Chorus:
America, America, my land so grand
From sea to shining sea, forever I'll stand
With pride in my heart, for all that we've achieved
In this land of opportunity, America is my land, and I believe
Verse 2:
From the bustling cities, to the small town streets
There's a unity here, that can't be beat
Where the diversity brings us together
As we stand strong, through any weather
Chorus:
America, America, my land so grand
From sea to shining sea, forever I'll stand
With pride in my heart, for all that we've achieved
In this land of opportunity, America is my land, and I believe
Bridge:
We may not be perfect, but we're still strong
And we'll keep fighting, for what we know is right and wrong
For the land of the free, and the home of the brave
America is where, my heart will always stay
Chorus:
America, America, my land so grand
From sea to shining sea, forever I'll stand
With pride in my heart, for all that we've achieved
In this land of opportunity, America is my land, and I believe
Outro:
America is my land, and I'll never forget
The sacrifices made, to make it the best
I'll stand tall and proud, for all to see
That America is my land, and it will always be.
George Bragg, founder-director of the Texas Boys Choir of Fort Worth, believes that "Folk songs are secular hymns that express a theory or philosophy about the human experience. Folk songs are capsules of history and ethnology. They give us insight into the manners and mores of a particular time and group of people-or of one man's need or fulfillment. Folk songs were once described as 'musical pieces of unknown origin.' But that is no longer true, as exampled by Woodie Guthrie's 'This Land Is Your Land' and 'So Long, It's Been Good to Know Ya.""
The songs selected by Mr. Bragg for this album truly give insight into the manners and mores of America of a simpler era, when personal and national feelings were expressed with a refreshing directness-of a time when, indeed, "This Land Is Your Land" was a proud statement of involvement and responsibility. Many of these songs celebrate the regional pride and history; others are per- sonal testaments to the spirit of individuality that played so prominent a part in the formation of a new nation; still others pay tribute to the Negro spiritual that helped to create a music uniquely American.
All the songs are performed by what the great com- poser Igor Stravinsky has called "the best boy choir in the world"-the Texas Boys Choir of Fort Worth. This out- standing musical group was established twenty-three years ago by George Bragg as the Denton, Texas, Civic Boys Choir. Some ten years later, Mr. Bragg-encouraged by culturally concerned citizens of Fort Worth and backed by their financial support-transferred his Choir to that city. Since that time, the Texas Boys Choir has racked up a total of more than 2,500 engagements in the United States and abroad, including appearances in England's Westminster Abbey, singing mass at St. Peter's Basilica. in Rome, appearing twice in recital at Town Hall in New York, and making a debut performance-the first by any boys choir-in Los Angeles' new Pavilion for the Performing Arts. In addition, the Choir has made guest performances with the Santa Fe Opera and has been seen on many national television shows.
Members of the Texas Boys Choir are all residents of the Fort Worth-Dallas metropolitan area. Twice a year, public auditions are held in Fort Worth for boys age 9 to 12. A choirboy is selected on his ability to sing, and most boys have had no formal musical training prior to their selection. Choirboys for concert appearances must spend at least a year and a half to two years in training. A boy is allowed to remain with the group until his voice changes.
Recording has begun increasingly to take up a greater portion of the Choir's time: In the past few years, the Choir has played an important part in such Columbia Masterworks albums as "Charles Ives: Music for Chorus" (for which it won the award for best choral performance, 1966, from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences); Igor Stravinsky's cantata "Perséphone"; Claudio Monteverdi's "Vespers of 1610"; and "The Glory of Gabrieli" (chosen by ballot by readers of Schwann Record Catalog as the Most Popular Classical Record of 1968, and cited as the Best Choral Performance record of 1968 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences).
The arrangements of these American folk songs are by Robert De Cormier who has also acted as arranger for Harry Belafonte and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
The songs selected by Mr. Bragg for this album truly give insight into the manners and mores of America of a simpler era, when personal and national feelings were expressed with a refreshing directness-of a time when, indeed, "This Land Is Your Land" was a proud statement of involvement and responsibility. Many of these songs celebrate the regional pride and history; others are per- sonal testaments to the spirit of individuality that played so prominent a part in the formation of a new nation; still others pay tribute to the Negro spiritual that helped to create a music uniquely American.
All the songs are performed by what the great com- poser Igor Stravinsky has called "the best boy choir in the world"-the Texas Boys Choir of Fort Worth. This out- standing musical group was established twenty-three years ago by George Bragg as the Denton, Texas, Civic Boys Choir. Some ten years later, Mr. Bragg-encouraged by culturally concerned citizens of Fort Worth and backed by their financial support-transferred his Choir to that city. Since that time, the Texas Boys Choir has racked up a total of more than 2,500 engagements in the United States and abroad, including appearances in England's Westminster Abbey, singing mass at St. Peter's Basilica. in Rome, appearing twice in recital at Town Hall in New York, and making a debut performance-the first by any boys choir-in Los Angeles' new Pavilion for the Performing Arts. In addition, the Choir has made guest performances with the Santa Fe Opera and has been seen on many national television shows.
Members of the Texas Boys Choir are all residents of the Fort Worth-Dallas metropolitan area. Twice a year, public auditions are held in Fort Worth for boys age 9 to 12. A choirboy is selected on his ability to sing, and most boys have had no formal musical training prior to their selection. Choirboys for concert appearances must spend at least a year and a half to two years in training. A boy is allowed to remain with the group until his voice changes.
Recording has begun increasingly to take up a greater portion of the Choir's time: In the past few years, the Choir has played an important part in such Columbia Masterworks albums as "Charles Ives: Music for Chorus" (for which it won the award for best choral performance, 1966, from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences); Igor Stravinsky's cantata "Perséphone"; Claudio Monteverdi's "Vespers of 1610"; and "The Glory of Gabrieli" (chosen by ballot by readers of Schwann Record Catalog as the Most Popular Classical Record of 1968, and cited as the Best Choral Performance record of 1968 by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences).
The arrangements of these American folk songs are by Robert De Cormier who has also acted as arranger for Harry Belafonte and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
Balladeer Woody Guthrie claimed "that everybody born to dwell on this earth does almost an equal share to keep our songs, poems, ballads and such things alive." In this urban and specialized era a few do more than most to keep folk music a living expression of a nation's culture. The Weavers are among those few who have set a whole generation singing old songs in a new way. creating a living musical almanac in which is written part of the record of America's history, sorrows, joys and promise.
Perhaps this explains why the Weavers have been America's most popular and best-loved folksingers of the last thirty years. Not only did the quartet include four versatile virtuosi; it was made up of four musicians full of creative ideas. And this approach, abhorring both pedantry and standardized, slick arrangements, is almost a necessity for preserving the freshness of spirit of folk music itself. Creation is inherent in the folk process. Thus the Weavers' rehearsals consisted of ten percent singing and ninety percent discussion (sometimes heated). New words were suggested and revised into final form; melodic lines altered in keeping with the content of the text; harmonies worked out to emphasize the song's meaning. Pete would ask Fred to sing a verse, and Fred would waive the privilege in favor of Lee, who would toss the ball back to Pete- whereupon the verse may have been rewritten for soprano Ronnie. Or, if a song was found dramatically incomplete, Lee might put in a "zipper," an existing folksong verse that suits many songs.
The Weavers draw constantly on the rich heritage of American and international folk song; the black gospel songs and spirituals, work songs and play songs, protest songs and Christmas carols, the songs of Woody Guthrie and Huddie Ledbetter. But there is always the feeling of transformation, of a new look at an old song, a fresh interpretation that gives the song a different meaning than it had before, a greater emotional weight.
Our over-specialized age has affected even folksingers. Some sing the blues, others prefer songs of booze, a few look well only before the fireplace, while still others seem to find their resting place in the corral or the foc'sle. The Weavers are anything but one-sided. They are at home in every type of folksong, and, more important, express in their music almost every shade of human emotion.
The varied attainments of the four who made up the Weavers would make a considerable book. Pete Seeger, a veteran of Woody Guthrie's Almanac Singers, is, according to Alan Lomax, America's "best all round folk performer." In addition to his musical activities, he has been active in peace, civil rights, and environmental movements. Fred Hellerman, a lifelong New Yorker, has been a prominent record producer and arranger as well as a performer. Lee Hays, a former Methodist minister from Arkansas, was also a journalist, mystery writer, and a member of the Babysitters. Ronnie Gilbert has had a distinguished career both as singer and as avant-garde actress.
The first side opens with Woody Guthrie's song, This Land is Your Land, which many consider his finest effort. Aunt Rhodie is probably better known than any other cradle song. At one concert the Weavers asked the audience to sing this old lullaby as each person had first learned it; when the tune reached the name of the aunt, there was a mad jumble: Sally, Polly, Susy, etc. Of Aweigh Santy Ano, Lee Hays says, "A chantey is a chantey is a chantey.
It could go on as long as there was work to be done and the verse did not have to make any sense, so long as the rhythm was kept steady." Wild Goose Grasses is also known as "In Tarrytown," and those who trace folksong genealogies will find it an offspring of "Butcher Boy." DeWitt Clinton was proud of the Erie Canal, which he promoted. He was rewarded by having his picture put on the cigarette tax stamp. The boatmen and mule skinners who did the actual work on the canal must have had a different view, judging by the song they left us. Eres Alta is a Spanish song, from the province of Montana. "You are tall and thin like your mother...I am dying of love since I have seen you." Tina is one of the irresistibly rousing and lyrical African songs that Seeger has done so much to make a widespread possession. In the Xhosa language, its words may be translated as "We are a flaming fire; (be careful) you'll burn, you'll burn." Old Riley tells the story of a prisoner who escaped from a Texas prison farm; he got across the Brazos River where Rattler, the bloodhound, couldn't catch him. Lee Hays learned You Old Fool from Emma Dusenberry, the blind singer of the Ozarks. It has become somewhat citified in this version. Every Night is one of the classics of American folk song, and is deeply felt by both Ronnie Gilbert and everyone who hears her sing it.
The distinction between pure corn and a great song is often whether it shows the ability to chuckle at one's self-pity. So it is with several sad songs on this album, though Bury Me Beneath the Willow is still known to draw a few tears. Almost Done is a work song. Gotta Travel On was a fragment of a song with an appealing rhythm that the Weavers wanted to preserve. They wrote new lyrics to tell a lonesome tale. Empty Pockets Blues is by Hays, with improvements by Seeger. In Greenland Whale Fisheries, Seeger and Hellerman joined the old New England ballad with a Bahamian fragment to dramatize the story of life on whaling vessels. Sailors worked not for wages but for "lays," shares of the total catch. It was a form of whale. sharecropping, of misery and tragedy at sea. Howard's Dead and Gone is a jumpy party song that can go on as long as anyone has verses to contribute.
Perhaps this explains why the Weavers have been America's most popular and best-loved folksingers of the last thirty years. Not only did the quartet include four versatile virtuosi; it was made up of four musicians full of creative ideas. And this approach, abhorring both pedantry and standardized, slick arrangements, is almost a necessity for preserving the freshness of spirit of folk music itself. Creation is inherent in the folk process. Thus the Weavers' rehearsals consisted of ten percent singing and ninety percent discussion (sometimes heated). New words were suggested and revised into final form; melodic lines altered in keeping with the content of the text; harmonies worked out to emphasize the song's meaning. Pete would ask Fred to sing a verse, and Fred would waive the privilege in favor of Lee, who would toss the ball back to Pete- whereupon the verse may have been rewritten for soprano Ronnie. Or, if a song was found dramatically incomplete, Lee might put in a "zipper," an existing folksong verse that suits many songs.
The Weavers draw constantly on the rich heritage of American and international folk song; the black gospel songs and spirituals, work songs and play songs, protest songs and Christmas carols, the songs of Woody Guthrie and Huddie Ledbetter. But there is always the feeling of transformation, of a new look at an old song, a fresh interpretation that gives the song a different meaning than it had before, a greater emotional weight.
Our over-specialized age has affected even folksingers. Some sing the blues, others prefer songs of booze, a few look well only before the fireplace, while still others seem to find their resting place in the corral or the foc'sle. The Weavers are anything but one-sided. They are at home in every type of folksong, and, more important, express in their music almost every shade of human emotion.
The varied attainments of the four who made up the Weavers would make a considerable book. Pete Seeger, a veteran of Woody Guthrie's Almanac Singers, is, according to Alan Lomax, America's "best all round folk performer." In addition to his musical activities, he has been active in peace, civil rights, and environmental movements. Fred Hellerman, a lifelong New Yorker, has been a prominent record producer and arranger as well as a performer. Lee Hays, a former Methodist minister from Arkansas, was also a journalist, mystery writer, and a member of the Babysitters. Ronnie Gilbert has had a distinguished career both as singer and as avant-garde actress.
The first side opens with Woody Guthrie's song, This Land is Your Land, which many consider his finest effort. Aunt Rhodie is probably better known than any other cradle song. At one concert the Weavers asked the audience to sing this old lullaby as each person had first learned it; when the tune reached the name of the aunt, there was a mad jumble: Sally, Polly, Susy, etc. Of Aweigh Santy Ano, Lee Hays says, "A chantey is a chantey is a chantey.
It could go on as long as there was work to be done and the verse did not have to make any sense, so long as the rhythm was kept steady." Wild Goose Grasses is also known as "In Tarrytown," and those who trace folksong genealogies will find it an offspring of "Butcher Boy." DeWitt Clinton was proud of the Erie Canal, which he promoted. He was rewarded by having his picture put on the cigarette tax stamp. The boatmen and mule skinners who did the actual work on the canal must have had a different view, judging by the song they left us. Eres Alta is a Spanish song, from the province of Montana. "You are tall and thin like your mother...I am dying of love since I have seen you." Tina is one of the irresistibly rousing and lyrical African songs that Seeger has done so much to make a widespread possession. In the Xhosa language, its words may be translated as "We are a flaming fire; (be careful) you'll burn, you'll burn." Old Riley tells the story of a prisoner who escaped from a Texas prison farm; he got across the Brazos River where Rattler, the bloodhound, couldn't catch him. Lee Hays learned You Old Fool from Emma Dusenberry, the blind singer of the Ozarks. It has become somewhat citified in this version. Every Night is one of the classics of American folk song, and is deeply felt by both Ronnie Gilbert and everyone who hears her sing it.
The distinction between pure corn and a great song is often whether it shows the ability to chuckle at one's self-pity. So it is with several sad songs on this album, though Bury Me Beneath the Willow is still known to draw a few tears. Almost Done is a work song. Gotta Travel On was a fragment of a song with an appealing rhythm that the Weavers wanted to preserve. They wrote new lyrics to tell a lonesome tale. Empty Pockets Blues is by Hays, with improvements by Seeger. In Greenland Whale Fisheries, Seeger and Hellerman joined the old New England ballad with a Bahamian fragment to dramatize the story of life on whaling vessels. Sailors worked not for wages but for "lays," shares of the total catch. It was a form of whale. sharecropping, of misery and tragedy at sea. Howard's Dead and Gone is a jumpy party song that can go on as long as anyone has verses to contribute.
