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Lyr Add: God Bless the Grass (Malvina Reynolds)

25 May 98 - 10:44 PM (#29295)
Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: GOD BLESS THE GRASS (M Reynolds)
From: Joe Offer

Here's another treasure I found at the library book sale.
-Joe Offer-

GOD BLESS THE GRASS
words and music by Malvina Reynolds
© Schroder Music Company, 1964

God bless the grass that grows through the crack.
They roll the concrete over it to try and keep it back.
The concrete gets tired of what it has to do,
It breaks and it buckles and the grass grows through.
And God bless the grass.

God bless the truth that fights toward the sun,
They roll the lies over it and think that it is done.
It moves through the ground and reaches for the air,
And after a while it is growing everywhere,
And God bless the grass.

God bless the grass that grows through cement.
It's green and it's tender and it's easily bent.
But after a while it lifts up its head,
For the grass is living and the stone is dead,
And God bless the grass.

God bless the grass that's gentle and low,
Its roots they are deep and its will is to grow.
And God bless the truth, the friend of the poor,
And the wild grass growing at the poor man's door,
And God bless the grass.

Click to play

ABC format:

X:1
T:God Bless the Grass
M:4/4
Q:1/4=120
K:C
e2e3/2e/2e3d|c2B3/2B/2A3A|B3/2B/2BBeeed|c3/2c/2BBA3A|
c2ccA3A|ccccA3A|c2ccAAAA|c2d2e3d|c2B3/2B/2A7/2||

26 May 98 - 06:32 PM (#29365)
Subject: RE: ADD: God Bless the Grass - Malvina Reynolds
From:

My mom is in a choir that sings an ecclectic collection of tunes and at there last concert they sang God Bless the Grass. Pretty neat huh?

26 May 98 - 07:04 PM (#29375)
Subject: RE: ADD: God Bless the Grass - Malvina Reynolds
From: Bill D

I think I have a Pete Seeger record of 'environmental' songs with that as the title cut...great song....

26 May 98 - 07:40 PM (#29378)
Subject: Info: God Bless the Grass - Malvina Reynolds
From: Joe Offer

Malvina was born at the turn of the century, and died in 1978. She was a prolific songwriter, best known as the author of such tunes as "Little Boxes," "God Bless the Grass," and "Turn Around." She first came to prominence through her songwriting talents in the '30's and '40's, when some of her compositions were performed by the Almanac Singers. Later, her songs were recorded by Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Marianne Faithfull, and Harry Belafonte.
Malvina's songs are topical, focusing on many aspects of society, from the frivolous to the deadly serious. She wrote tunes about such national issues as highway encroachment ("Cement Octopus"), as well as social matters such as the People's Park battle in her home town of Berkeley ("Boraxo") and British children who hung on branches to stop construction men from cutting the trees down ("The Lambeth Children O") Her one song to appear on the charts (in 1964) was the ironic "Little Boxes" a poke at stifling conformity in a suburban tract [What about "Turn Around?]. Another important composition from the early '60's, the anti-nuclear "What Have They done to the Rain?" became a favorite with performers such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.
Malvina Reynolds once said, "After Woody Guthrie, I think I was one of the first who was primarily interested in writing songs based on labor and the folk tradition, songs with a social content. I write topical songs because I think they are necessary."
Her awareness of injustice was partly based on personal experience. In 1916, when she was ready to graduate from high school, Malvina was informed by one of her teachers that the school administration planned to interrupt the graduation ceremony, and perhaps deprive her of a diploma, on the grounds that her father was engaged in radical political activities. Malvina chose to stay home, and never graduated. Nonetheless, she went on to earn a Ph.D. in literature from the University of California. She wrote her doctoral thesis on a medieval folk tale, and went into teachig full-time. By the late '30's, however, Malvina began to write her traditionally-styled songs, and she became one of folk music's most inspirational songwriters.

Source: Artists of American Folk Music, by Phil Hood (GPI Publications, 1986)

I sure wish somebody would reissue Malvina's recordings on CD - although I admit that she didn't have much of a voice. She had a big heart, though, and she wrote great songs....and I got a Malvina songbook $1.50, and another for $6.95!
-Joe Offer, bargain hunter-

24 Mar 99 - 06:54 PM (#65694)
Subject: Lyr Add: GOD BLESS THE GRASS (Malvina Reynolds)
From: Roger in Baltimore

Susan,

God Bless the Grass
by Malvina Reynolds

God bless the grass that grows thru the crack
They roll the concrete over ti to try and keep it back
The concrete gets tired of what it has to do
It breaks & it buckles and the grass grows thru.
And God bless the grass.

God bless the truth that fights toward the sun
They roll the lies over it & think that it is done
It moves thru the ground & reaches for the air
And after a while it is growing everywhere
And God bless the grass

God bless the grass that grows thru cement
It's green & it's tender & it's easily bent.
But after a while it lifts up its head
For the grass is living & the stone is dead.
And God bless the grass.

God bless the grass that's gentle & low
Its roots they are deep & its will is to grow
And God bless the truth, the friend of the poor
And the wild grass growing at the poor man's door.
And God bless the grass.

Copied out of RUS which has about a dozen Malvina Reynolds' songs.

Enjoy the music, Susan!

Roger in Baltimore

04 Oct 00 - 06:08 PM (#312269)
Subject: RE: ADD: God Bless the Grass - Malvina Reynolds
From: harpgirl

refried

20 Nov 00 - 10:16 AM (#343935)
Subject: god bless the grass
From: GUEST,jim

Hi. any one have the lyrics to "GOD BLESS THE GRASS" & and any other Pete Seeger songs from that album?

20 Nov 00 - 10:39 AM (#343945)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: god bless the grass
From: Mike Regenstreif

To give credit where it's due, "God Bless the Grass," recorded by Pete Seeger, is a Malvina Reynolds song.

Mike Regenstreif

20 Nov 00 - 11:08 AM (#343957)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: god bless the grass
From: Turtle

Information about Malvina Reynolds and her music is available on her daughter Nancy Schimmel's website, www.sisterschoice.com (which is run by Nancy Schimmel's daughter, Nancy Ibsen). There are some song lyrics there, but I'm not sure if God Bless the Grass is included. I think the lyrics are in Rise Up Singing, though. And you can email Nancy Ibsen from the site to ask for them. Good luck!

Turtle

20 Nov 00 - 01:29 PM (#344055)
Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: GOD BLESS THE GRASS (M Reynolds)
From: raredance

GOD BLESS THE GRASS (Malvina Reynolds, 1964)

(Am)God bless the grass that grows (E7)through the (Am)crack.
They (E7)roll the concrete over it to try and keep it (Am)back.
The (C)concrete gets (Am)tired of (C)what it has to (Am) do.
It (F)breaks and it buckles and the grass grows (E7)through,
And (Am)God (E7)bless the (Am)grass.

God bless the truth that fights toward the sun,
They roll the lies over it an think that it is done.
It moves through the ground and reaches for the air,
And after qhile it is growing everywhere.
And God bless the grass.

God bless the grass that breaks through cement.
It's green and it's tender and it's easily bent.
But after awhile it lifts up its head,
For the grass it is living and the stone it is dead.
And God bless the grass.

God bless the grass that's gentle and low,
Its roots they are deep and its will is to grow.
And God bless the gruth, the friend of the poor,
And the wild grass growing at the poor man's door.
And God bless the grass.

rich r

22 Mar 02 - 10:09 PM (#674510)
Subject: God Bless the Grass
From: hobbitwoman

Does anyone have the lyrics for a song by Malvina Reynolds which I believe is called God Bless the Grass?

Here are some of the lyrics:

God bless the grass that grows through cement, They roll the concrete over it and it's easily bent But the concrete gets tired of what it has to do .......................and the grass comes through

Or words to that effect.

Thanks, Annie

22 Mar 02 - 10:13 PM (#674517)
Subject: Lyr Add: GOD BLESS THE GRASS (Malvina Reynolds)
From: catspaw49

God Bless the Grass
God bless the grass that grows through the crack.
They roll the concrete over it and try to keep it back.
The concrete gets tired of what it has to do
it breaks and it buckles and the grass grows through
And God bless the grass.

God bless the truth that fights for the sun.
They roll the lies over it and think that it is done
It moves through the ground, it reaches for the air
and after a while, it's growing everywhere.
And God bless the truth.

God bless the grass that breaks through cement
It's green and it's tender, it's easily bent.
But after a while, it lifts up it's head,
For the grass is living and the stone is dead,
And God bless the grass

Spaw

23 Mar 02 - 10:44 AM (#674757)
Subject: Lyr Add: GOD BLESS THE GRASS (Malvina Reynolds)
From: raredance

Spaw, you forgot the last verse:

God bless the grass, that's gentle and low,
Its roots they are deep and its will is to grow.
And God bless the truth, the friend of the poor,
And the wild grass growing at the poor man's door,
And God bless the grass.

(Malvina Reynolds, 1964, Shroder Music Co.)

rich r

23 Mar 02 - 03:44 PM (#674952)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: God Bless the Grass
From: Art Thieme

I recall a parody that went something like:

God bless the grass,
It's better than crack,

That's all I remember.

Art Thieme

23 Mar 02 - 10:49 PM (#675181)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: God Bless the Grass
From: raredance

Art, and that's why you can't remember it ;-)

rich r

23 Mar 02 - 10:52 PM (#675182)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: God Bless the Grass
From: hobbitwoman

Thank you, Spaw and Rich - and thank you, too, Art! :o)

Annie

26 Jul 03 - 11:21 PM (#991307)
Subject: RE: ADD: God Bless the Grass - Malvina Reynolds
From: BIG AL

Yes it makes you feel very humble to see how much someone like Malvina Reynolds accomplished. Living in England my first contact with her work was in the 1960's. Pete Seeger came over and played a popular TV programme called Sunday Night at the London Palladium. He played a 12 sring and he opened with Liba Cotten's Freight Train, The What did you learn in School Today? then Little Boxes, which was in the charts.

later on the Searchers had a minor hit with What have they Done to the Rain. It was widely reckoned to have been a bit of misfire as it was the first one of their songs not to get in top five.

Later on I became a folksinger/songwriter of sorts. i can remember Malvina featuring on a very late night documentary, and she was feeling very hard done to by the powers that be , because she was writing songs and no one was getting behind them. It was a tough time to be a folksinger, with her sort of agendas. Folk music was split into two distinct camps - traditional singers trying to recreate the music of long ago, and folk comedians who were precursors of the modern alternativew comedy movement. Both camps highly professional in presentation, and almost completely uninterested in the idea of a living artform that took on the wrongs of society.

We miss out so much when music is so tightly formatted the way it is. One can't help but feel , Malvina would have loved the internet with its powerful tools for disseminating music and it ability to publish and subvert, and organise!

alan whittle

27 Jul 03 - 12:09 AM (#991323)
Subject: RE: ADD: God Bless the Grass - Malvina Reynolds
From: GUEST,Margret RoadKnight

Worth visiting this website, maintained by Malvina's daughter and grandaughter, to recapture some of Malvina's spirit...
http://www.sisterschoice.com/malvinamain.html

27 Jul 03 - 04:36 AM (#991375)
Subject: RE: ADD: God Bless the Grass - Malvina Reynolds
From: zanderfish3 (inactive)

The only recording I have is Malvina singing ' Little Boxes '
absolutely the best version ever.
What a beautiful songwriter.

18 May 12 - 12:28 AM (#3352274)
Subject: RE: Lyr Add: God Bless the Grass (Malvina Reynolds)
From: GUEST

Does anyone happen to know the chords? :) I keep playing a slighty off bluesier version that I can't shake

03 Apr 13 - 08:49 AM (#3498244)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: God Bless the Grass (Malvina Reynolds)
From: GUEST

What is the meaning of the song? What does the grass symbolize?

03 Apr 13 - 09:29 AM (#3498254)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: God Bless the Grass (Malvina Reynolds)
From: Nigel Parsons

God Bless the Grass

God bless my grass, its small plastic bag
That I roll for a reefer ('tho Brits may call it a 'fag')
From rolling machine that I keep in my pocket
With it I get high, lit-up, like a rocket!
And God bless the grass.

03 Apr 13 - 09:15 PM (#3498557)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: God Bless the Grass (Malvina Reynolds)
From: Charley Noble

"What does the grass symbolize?"

Many things but the tenacity of nature would be one.

Charley Noble