Best Folk Song of the 20th Century
OK, granted this is a stupid idea from the get go. But hey, why not. If there's one song written this century that will last and delight, it's Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." Besides being, in itself, a wonderful song that no one seems to get tired of singing, it satisfies some essential requirements of an authentic, good folk song.
1. The melody is stolen. Yup. If you didn't know, among the many melodies Woody stole for his famous songs, "This Land Is Your Land" is one of them. The tune to this classic is "Little Darlin' Pal of Mine."
2. It's singable. With it's anthem-like solidity, this song can be sung by anyone. Plus it's instantly memorized.
3. It's poetic without being "poetic." "This Land Is Your Land" is full of nice lyrical touches that don't intrude. The chorus easily spans the continent from West to East and North to South, embracing the country it describes with its inevitable logic. And the verses are full of alliteration
I roamed and I rambled, and I followed my footsteps
T hrough the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts.
4. It's subversive. To be truly subversive, a song not only has to oppose the establishment but somehow get inside and overthrow it from the inside. "This Land Is Your Land" has been like a virus, worming its way over the years into Boy Scout campfire books and 4th grade social studies textbooks. It does this by beginning with heartfelt praise before adding verses that question the idealistic vision it has set up.
As I was walking, I saw a sign there
And on that sign there it said "No Trespassing
But on the other side it didn't say nothing
That side was made for you and me.One Sunday morning, in the shadow of the steeple
By the relief office I seen my people
And while they stood there hungry, I stood there wondering
Was this land made for you and me...
It's the duty of those of us who know Woody's intentions, the history behind the song and all the original verses to sing them whenever we get a chance. The fact that the song's first two verses have been coopted to create an anthem for flagwaving patriots makes it that much more powerful when its true meaning is revealed. No matter how cynical they are going into what they think is going to be yet another rousing version of the kiddy classic, children and even adults reel as they recognize its truth.
For a page of links, try my Folk 101 page on Woody Guthrie.
Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|
|