"BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR"? NO THANKS.

It's a simple song, simple enough that you learn it in grade school. It's written by one of America's greatest songwriters and it's one of the best songs about America ever written. Maybe it's lost it's shine for grade school, but I don't remember ever not knowing the song. Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" is ingrained in my head. And most people have only heard two thirds of it.

A year ago Mental Floss posted a story about the song that speculates that the two missing verses were omitted because of what could be perceived as political content, but to me read more like truth and common sense. Per the article "It may have had something to do with the mounting anti-communist furor that would lead to the Red Scare of the late '40s and early '50s." The article includes the two missing verses and an anecdote about how, when Bruce Springsteen joined Pete Seeger to play the song at an inauguration event for Barack Obama, Seeger was insistent that they include the two verses.

My favorite version of the song is the one recorded by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. It's a groove and a half, really, an awesome reworking. They include the two additional verses and another with slightly re-written lyrics. But, guess what? There was a real seventh verse too, one that I'd not known about until I looked at the official Woody Guthrie web site, run by his daughter. There's a link to it below. Remember, "Antifa" means anti-fascist. To be anti-fascist is to be patriotic. Happy 4th.

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Listen:
Woody Guthrie - This Land Is Your Land mp3 at Rocky 52
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - This Land Is Your Land mp3 at Tumblr
Video:
Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen - This Land Is Your Land (live) at YouTube
Visit:

This Land Is Your Land: The Story Behind America's Best-Known Protest Song at Mental Floss
Woody Guthrie official site - Full lyrics

THE SIMPLE AMERICAN TRUTH

"This land was made for you and me" from Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" is probably the most patriotic line ever written about the United States of America. It's more important than all of the flag waving, all of the fireworks, a day off, barbeques and whatnot. We need to remember that line, every day, not just on the Fourth of July. We need to remember it particularly on election day, when weighing who's in bed with corporations, special interests and fat cats. That would be an excellent time to keep it in mind. 

Here's Guthrie's version and a particularly good cover by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. If you're unfamiliar with Guthrie, you should slap yourself silly and then watch the documentary linked below. Seriously. He's one of the most important figures in the history of American music.

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Listen:
Woody Guthrie - This Land is Your Land mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - This Land is Your Land mp3 at Evil Vince
Video:
Woody Guthrie - Ain't Got No Home at YouTube Two hour PBS documentary

FOR YOU AND ME

Not to dismiss the folks in the military, but you know who the true patriots are? Voters. It's the one role that we play that gives puts us on equal footing with every other individual. In this one activity, presuming there's no shenanigans going on, a homeless person conceivably has the same power as the fat cat. When you vote, you are the most elemental defender of freedom. Bang bang in the ballot box.

I bet you already know what songs are going to play today. Every damn song that has "America" or "USA" in it will be blasting at barbeques and fireworks shows all over the place. You can practically write the playlist now, from Kate Smith, to Bruce Springsteen, Neil Diamond and James Brown, with little regard to appropriateness. I would forgo the whole shooting match just to see a few kids holding sparklers while this song plays.

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Listen:
Woody Guthrie - This Land is Your Land mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - This Land is Your Land mp3 at Evil Vince

PETE SHOWS UP

Around midnight last night America's citizen laureate Pete Seeger joined the Occupy Wall Streeters on a 36 block trek to Columbus Circle in NYC. He's 92 years old. and he did it walking with two canes. Yeah. Once there, the crowd joined in as he sang "We Shall Overcome," a mainstay in his repertoire for decades. He's always been one of us, long before most of us were even born into it.

Woody Guthrie

Here's a few from him. Along with the song mentioned above, here's "What Side Are You On?" which is really about drawing the line in union issues, but is semi-relevant. The other "A Dollar Ain't A Dollar Anymore," is just about financial hardship, so it slips in. There's also Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings' cover of "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie (an old friend of Seeger's), because the song has never ceased to be relevant, and because we could all use a little funkiness in our revolution.

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Listen:
Pete Seeger - We Shall Overcome mp3 at RichardSilverstein.com
Pete Seeger - Which Side Are You On? mp3 at NB Books
Pete Seeger - A Dollar Ain't A Dollar Anymore mp3 at Cover Lay Down
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - This Land is Your Land mp3 at Stinky Tofu
Video:
Pete Seeger marches to Columbus Circle, 10/21/2011 at YouTube
Pete Seeger, with Occupy Wall Street - We Shall Overcome at YouTube
Visit:
Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie Occupy Wall Street at the Huffington Post
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Together
Pete Seeger at Wikipedia
Woody Guthrie at Wikipedia

THIS MP3 KILLS FASCISTS

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Woody Guthries - This Land is Your Land mp3 at Boogie Woogie Flu
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings - This Land is Your Land mp3 at Evil Vince

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