Re: [Marxism] VIDEO: Seeger and Springsteen sing original Woody Guthrie at Obama concert

[Eli Stephens <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Darrel says:

"Doesn't matter how you interpret the lyrics; as populist, working class, etc., 
"This land" wasn't "made", it was stolen forcefully and viciously from 

the indigenous peoples of America.  If, as a lot of people do, you interpret 
"this land" to mean "this country" or "America" (the state of), then you can 
say it was "made"; but then it becomes clearer how the song is a patriotic 
paean in a colonial/settler state. Regardless of what Guthrie's intentions 
might have been.."

You really haven't been paying much attention to the song, have you? The "land" 
in the song refers to THE LAND - the redwood forests, the Gulf Stream waters, 
the golden valleys, the diamond deserts, etc." Not the country as a political 
entity or the state - the LAND.

And the LAND belongs to all of us, or SHOULD, according to the song. Pay 
attention to the key verse in the entire song:

As 
                  I went walking I saw a sign there 

                  And on the sign it said "No Trespassing." 

                  But on the other side it didn't say nothing, 

                  That side was made for you and me.

And, as it turns out, the version Seeger and Springsteen sang was even more 
explicit than that:

A great high wall there that tried to stop me;
A great big sign there said private property;
But on the other side it didn't say nothing;
That side was made for you and me.

And, I remind you, "This Land is Your Land" was written as an answer to Irving 
Berlin's "God Bless America."


Eli Stephens
 Left I on the News
 http://lefti.blogspot.com


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