This Land is Your Land: Variations

Subject: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Deckman
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 01:32 PM

I know that Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" is sung around the world. I'm looking for English versions from different countries. For example, I remember that the Canadian version goes:

"This land is your land, this land is my land,
From Nova Scotia, to Vancouver Island,
From the Artic Circle, to the great lakes waters,
This land was made for you and me."

Can anyone give me more versions? Thanks Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Rasener
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 01:41 PM

Peter Paul and Mary

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: kendall
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 02:07 PM

This land is MY land, this land aint YOUR land
If you don't get off I'll blow your head off
I've got a shotgun and you aint got one
This land was made for me not you.

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Francy
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 02:20 PM

ALSO THIS KENDALL....as i went walking i saw a sign there
                     and on that side it said no trespassing
                     but on the other side it didn't say nothin'
                     now that side was made for you & me

                                  Frank of Toledo

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Martin Dardis
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 02:21 PM

This is the Irish version as recorded by The Barleycorn

This land is your land,
This land is my land
From the northern highlands,
To the western islands.
From the hills of Kerry,
To the streets of Free Derry,
This land was made for you and me

As I went walking, by the Shannon waters
Hand in hand with my little daughter
Hear the church bells ringing
nd the children singing
This land was made for you and me

This land is your land,
This land is my land
From the northern highlands,
To the western islands.
From the hills of Kerry,
To the streets of Free Derry,
This land was made for you and me

I climbed the mountain
By the crystal fountains
And I heard a great roar
From the rocky seashore
Her eyes were gleaming,
She said "Oh daddy"
This land was made for you and me

This land is your land,
This land is my land
From the northern highlands,
To the western islands.
From the hills of Kerry,
To the streets of Free Derry,
This land was made for you and me

I walked her home by
The old church steeple
Proud of my country
Proud of my people
From the men who cried there
To the men who died there singing that
This land was made for you and me

This land is your land,
This land is my land
From the northern highlands,
To the western islands.
From the hills of Kerry,
To the streets of Free Derry,
This land was made for you and me

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Deckman
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 02:23 PM

I love it ... keep 'em coming! bob

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: mauvepink
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 02:30 PM

The Seekers also did a version way back in the 70's... and this Wiki entry says a lot about the version.

Hope this helps a bit

mp

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 09:10 PM

OK, just made this up! (Guess the country!)

This land is your land, this land is my land,
From the Solway Firth tae the Shetland Islands,
From rocky St Kilda tae Peterheid harbour,
This land was made for you and me.

I'll work on the verses later!

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Celtaddict
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 09:28 PM

On Prairie Home Companion on last week's best of the year compilationi show, Arlo Guthrie sang a parody along the lines of
This song is my song
It isn't your song
So don't sing with me,
Or get the words wrong
....
This song was made for only me.
It was part of a 'Lives of the Cowboys' skit and was of course far funnier than it would have been with anyone else singing it.

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Bill D
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 10:02 PM

Years ago I learned a version written 'for' Native Americans. Perhaps it should be included here for those who never heard it.

♫"This land was my land, it was not your land,
Until you stole Manhattan Island.
You drove our Nation to the reservation.
This land was swiped by you from me."♫

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Ron Davies
Date: 11 Jan 10 - 10:04 PM

Indeed, the PHC show mentioned just above had an absolutely perfect version of this song--especially perfect for Arlo.

The 2 cowboys were in Lenox MA about to go to Canyon Ranch--described as the opposite of a feed lot, since people go there to lose weight--to do Unitarian Trail Rides, as I recall. On the request of Lefty's (Garrison's) partner, they stopped in at a tavern, which turned out to be Arlo's Dewdrop Inn.

Arlo told the audience the rules of the house: no singing along. "If you want to sing on this song.....just don't."

The song, as far as I could get it--it was interspersed with the skit :

This song is my song
It is not your song
So don't sing with me
It's for one person
I don't like choirs
Or harmony
This song is sung by only me.

You wanna sing
Go join the Lutherans
Join the Kiwanis
But let me be
I had to sing with you in grade school
You sang this song way off-key

These words are my words
Because I wrote'em
And I can feel'em
Down in my scrotum
And if you hit them
They'll stop ringing
Thanks for not singing along with me

As I was walking that ribbon of highway
Heard Frank Sinatra
And I did it my way
If you're from Norway
You did it your way
Thanks for not singing along with me

This song is my song
So please don't join me
Your singing's bound
To disappoint me
Go find Pete Seeger
And sing with him
Thanks for coming to Arlo's Dewdrop Inn   


It was by far the best thing about that week's show.

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 12:01 AM

I think the "Canadian version"was written by Oscar Brand, and I've always wondered whether Oscar wrote other verses. Canadian Rick Fielding, an intense Woody Guthrie fan, had a strong dislike for the Canadian version. He said it turned the song into a travelogue, instead of the strong political statement that Woody intended. He didn't mince any words about it in this thread, a classic Rick Fielding post - the whole thread is a classic, for that matter.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Deckman
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 06:28 AM

Joe ... I just read the entire thread that you referred me to. You're right ... it's a gem. It's Rick at his best ... and Art, and Marion and others too ... yerself included.

I've started teaching a class "American History As Found In Folk Songs", and I presented "This Land" the first class. The students were very interested in the story behind the song.

Thank you muchly for taking the time to educate me ... bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: GUEST,Doc John
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 07:14 AM

The Skifflers produced a forgettable English version way back, although I can't remember who and if it was every recorded. Most people do sing it as a 'travelogue' (as Joe aptly puts it) missing WG's point altogether. It's only recently that we've been able to listen to WG's recording with one of the 'missing' versers restored

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: GUEST,Drumshanty
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 07:54 AM

Billy Bragg's version and my favourite.

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 09:14 AM

I've just read that old thread again. Thanks for pointing us to it, Joe. It's a classic bit of Mudcatiana.

Subject: RE: This Land is Your Land: VERSION
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 10:31 AM

The late Mat Armour was certainly NOT Europhile - His rewrite had the last line - This Land belongs to the E E C ! Never got all the verses though