I’ve been hearing this on TV commercials for Volkswagen lately. It was unfamiliar to me. It was also played at the end of today’s episode of “This American Life.” The episode, number 688, was called “The Out Crowd” and was about asylum-seekers and the new obstacles put in their way by the Trump administration.


THESE ARE MY PEOPLE
Words and music by Jonny Cash
As recorded by Johnny Cash on “America: A 200-Year Salute in Story & Song” (1972)

These are my people.
This is the land where my forefathers lie.
These are my people.
In brotherhood, we’re heirs of a creed to live by,
A creed that proclaims
That by loved ones’ bloodstains
This is my land
And these are my people.

These are my people.
They were born on and live by the land.
These are my people,
And their cities were raised by hard-working hands
And their faces do tell
That they’re holding on well
To this their land.
Yes, these are my people.

These are my people.
These are the ones who will reach for the stars.
These are my people.
By the light of the earth you can tell they are ours—
A new step to take
And a new day will break,
For this my land,
Yes, these are my people.

(spoken) These are my people.
(hums rest of verse)
(fade)

[Not to be confused with other songs with the same title. One was written by Cliff Arquette and Charles G. Dant and recorded by Arquette under his persona "Charlie Weaver." One was written by Walter Colwell and Paul Murphy and was part of the "Up with People" repertoire. One was written by Dave Berg and Rivers Rutherford and recorded by Rodney Atkins. There are more.]