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Essay on This Land Is Your Land Analysis

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This Land Is Your Land
By: Woody Guthrie

There are many fold songs that go unheard. But when you go back to the roots of folk music, there is one that most every American recognizes. "This Land Is Your Land" has been a staple of Americana for nearly 75 years. The lyrics start off by giving a visual image of the vastness of America. It mentions California and the New York Island which focuses on the widest breadth of the country. Then it mentions the Redwood Forest (Which is also in California), and the Gulf Stream waters which are two easily recognizable features that are unique to America. While reminding the listener in the first line that this land is both theirs and his, and in the last line of the chorus that the land was not …show more content…

The other side of that sign was made for everyone, he says. So he is saying that the other side of that sign is equally everyones and nobody has a right to keep certain people out. He goes on to say in the next verse that nobody that is living can ever stop him as he is walking down the freedom highway. Nobody living can ever make him turn back, because this land was made for everyone. He is just saying that he will not give up just because it is hard. When the land was MADE for everyone, he is not going to stop until he has reached it. The last verse that is kept out of the song is without a doubt the very best one. It says that he has seen his people in the squares of the city and in the shadow of a steeple, beside the relief office they are standing hungry. This brought to mind the question to Woody, after everything that he had seen, was this land really made for everyone? After seeing all this beautiful country, he thought that there was no reason that anyone couldn't be where they wanted to be and do what they wanted to do. It seemed to him that the land was made for everyone. But then he realizes, that in the most popular and booming sections of the city, there are people lining up that the relief office to get help because they can't make a living on their own anymore. They are in the shadow of a church steeple meaning that it doesn't matter your religion that

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