Woody Guthrie (1912-1967)

Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was born on July 14, 1912, in Okemah, Oklahoma. His father
a cowboy, land speculator, and local politician taught Woody Western songs, Indian
songs, and Scottish folk tunes. His Kansas-born mother, also musically inclined, had an
equally profound effect on Woody.
In 1920, oil was discovered nearby and overnight Okemah was transformed into an "oil
boom" town, bringing thousands of workers, gamblers and hustlers to the once sleepy
farm town. Within a few years, the oil flow suddenly stopped and Okemah suffered a
severe economic turnaround, leaving the town and its inhabitants "busted, disgusted, and
not to be trusted."
From his experiences in Okemah, Woodys uniquely wry outlook on life, as well as his
abiding interest in rambling around the country, was formed. And so, he took to the open
road. If the Great Depression made it hard for Woody to support his family, the onslaught
of the Great Dust Storm period, which hit the Great Plains in 1935, made it impossible.
Drought and dust forced thousands of desperate farmers and unemployed workers from
Oklahoma, Kansas, Tennessee, and Georgia to head west in search of work. Woody, like
hundreds of dustbowl refugees, hit Route 66, also looking for a way to support his
family. Through his travels, he became known as a man of the people, writing songs
that expressed the struggles of Migrant workers and fellow Dustbowl Refugees, later
releasing an album entitled, Dust Bowl Ballads. Most famously, in 1951, This Land is
Your Land, was released. It became known as a second anthem for America and has
been widely taught in schools ever since.

This Land is Your Land

by Woody Guthrie
This land is your land, this land is my land 1
From the California to the New York island 2
From the Redwood Forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me 4
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway 6
And saw below me that golden valley 7
This land was made for you and me 8

I roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps

To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts 10
And all around me , a voice was sounding 11
This land was made for you and me 12

When the sun comes shining, then I was strolling 13

In the wheat fields waving and dust clouds rolling 14
The voice was chanting as the fog was lifting 15
This land was made for you and me 16

Quick Write:
1. In one word, how does this song make you feel?
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2. What is the tone?
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3. What is the purpose for this song being written?
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The Missing Verses of This Land is Your Land

As I went walking I saw a sign there 17
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing." 18
But on the other side it didn't say nothing, 19
That side was made for you and me. 20
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people, 21
By the relief office I seen my people; 22
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking 23
Is this land made for you and me? 24
Nobody living can ever stop me, 25
As I go walking that freedom highway; 26
Nobody living can ever make me turn back 27
This land was made for you and me. 28
Quick Write:
1. Knowing the missing lyrics, what one word would describe how you feel now?
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2. Has the tone for the song changed? Why or why not?
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3. What was Woodys purpose for this song and what from his experiences might have
influenced him?
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