Pete Seeger Restores "This Land is Your Land"

[kpete]

Run time: 04:41 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-PCpRWqXv8   Posted on YouTube: January 18, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: January 18, 2009 By DU Member: kpete Views on DU: 10666

 

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. May I be the first to nominate this

thanks for putting it up so fast.

[Piewhacket]

31. Don't forget to REC!

[keith the dem]

70. Then sign this petition:

http://www.nobelprize4pete.org/

(Just thought this should be at the top of the comments)

[Piewhacket]

83. medal of freedom

[FormerOstrich]

2. Thanks, kpete...

from an old Seeger fan.....brought proud tears to my eyes!!!

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Ladies and gentlemen, thank for singing our national anthem

That is the spirit of the day.

[kenfrequed]

91. It sure as hell ought to be...

But right now most of the idiots for changing it want to go to "America the beautiful" or much much worse "God Bless America."

I like Guthrie's "This land..." better than any other option.

[Glorfindel]

4. Thank you!

How wonderful that Pete Seger is still with us, and how TRULY wonderful that we can be proud of our country again. :kick:

[jaundicedi]

28. As long as there is one American like Pete Seeger

I can be proud to be an American.

[sazemisery]

5. Pete is a treasure to our country

Anyone who has not seen the documentary "Pete Seeger: The Power of Song" should. He is an inspiration to any that know his story.

[DeeDeeNY]

58. I loved that movie!

It's unfortunate that it had such a limited release.

[sagetea]

6. I just have to say, Pete Seeger is adorable!!!

I went into my daughter's room to tell her to come out to the living room, to watch with me, she was sitting and watching it on her computer in my wedding dress with a big smile on her face!! She had never heard that song in it's entirety. That is a moment I captured in my heart and camera!!

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. A real 'national treasure' still singin' at 90! Still getting everyone in on the

song. Our national anthem indeed. Pete, we love you. Keep "strugglin' on...strugglin' on!"

[MH1]

8. Pete's grandson Tao Rodríguez-Seeger is the leading voice

The young fellow standing to Pete's right. Listen to the beginning when Bruce introduces him. Notice that his voice sounds like Pete's, but his much stronger.

Pete, of course, led by speaking the words, so it's fair to credit him with restoring the proper version. :)

[tabatha]

37. He has an awesome voice.

There are some great videos of him and Pete on YouTube.

[Arugula Latte]

90. He is talented.

How incredible for him to sing that with his grandfather on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

[flying rabbit]

9. Damn -sometimes this country pisses me off

This however reminds me of what we are all about.

[Piewhacket]

10. Beautiful.(tears!). Pete is wonderful, but its a Woodie Guthrie Song. Lyrics here.

:loveya: :loveya: :loveya:
This Land is Your Land
(by Woody Guthrie)

This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California
To the New York Island,
From the redwood forest,
To the Gulf stream waters,
This land was made for you and me.

As I was walking,
That ribbon of highway,
I saw above me
That endless skyway,
I saw below me
That golden valley.
This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled
And I've followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
And all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me

The sun comes shining
As I was strolling
The wheat fields waving
And the dust clouds rolling
The fog was lifting a voice come chanting
This land was made for you and me

As I was walkin'
I saw a sign there
And that sign said no trespassin'
But on the other side
It didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!

In the squares of the city
In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office
I see my people
And some are grumblin'
And some are wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me.

Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking
That freedom highway
Nobody living can make me turn back
This land was made for you and me

OTHER VERSES

(CANADIAN CHORUS)
This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From Bonavista
To Vancouver Island,
From the Arctic Circle,
To the Great Lake waters,
This land was made for you and me.

roamed and I rambled
And I followed my footsteps
To the fir-clad forests
Of our mighty mountains
And all around me
A voice was calling,
This land was made for you and me.

I followed your low hills
And I followed your cliff rims,
Your marble canyons
And sunny bright waters.
As the fog was lifting,
A voice was saying
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun comes shining
And I am strolling,
And the wheat fields waving
And dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting
A voice was calling,
This land was made for you and me.
:loveya::loveya::loveya:

[RoccoR5955]

51. There are about a million verses to this song.

It's arguably the most popular Woody Guthrie song, and is probably better known than any other song on the planet.

[dipsydoodle]

56. Yes - Woody's

Here's its history :

"This Land Is Your Land" is one of the United States' most famous folk songs. Its lyrics were written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 on an existing melody, in response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America", which Guthrie considered unrealistic and complacent. Tired of hearing Kate Smith sing it on the radio, he wrote a response originally called "God Blessed America for Me".<1> Guthrie varied the lyrics over time, sometimes including more overtly political verses than appear in recordings or publications.

Guthrie lifted the melody of "This Land Is Your Land" essentially note-for-note from "When the World's on Fire", a Baptist hymn recorded by country legends the Carter Family ten years earlier. However, one source claims that a Carter Family original, "Little Darlin' Pal of Mine," was the source of the melody for "This Land."<2> He wrote the song in 1940 and recorded it in 1944. The song was not published until 1951, when it was included in a mimeographed booklet of ten songs with typed lyrics and hand drawings. The booklet was sold for twenty-five cents, and copyrighted in 1945.

The first known professionally printed publication was in 1956 by Ludlow Music (now a unit of The Richmond Organization), which administered the publishing rights to Guthrie's tune. Ludlow later issued versions with piano and guitar accompaniments.

In 2002, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry <1>.

edir - forgot the link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Land_Is_Your_Land

[Castleman]

84. If ya dig THAT Guthrie song

then look up the Mermaid Avenue albums, where Billy Bragg and Wilco created melodies to go with some found lyrics of Guthrie's. It also includes Guthrie's stunning song about triumph over racism, My Thirty Thousand, which my own band and I adopted and changed to be about Obama.

[dipsydoodle]

92. I've got the DVD

which has got some of the tracks on it. That includes "When the Roses Bloom Again" which isn't on the albums because it was suspected that The Carter Family wrote it. I concluded long ago that very little that the Carter Family "wrote" was infact original to them anyway. :hi:

[AnotherMother4Peace]

11. Beautiful - I listened to it twice. The glass is beginning to look half full again. nt

[tucsonlib]

12. Thank You So Much!

Pete will be turning 90 in a few months. A true American hero and patriot. God, I love that man. And I'm so grateful he's lived to witness this day.

[stevedeshazer]

13. It is fitting and beautiful that Pete lived to see this day

Nominated.

[rjones2818]

14. I just hope Obama actually pays attention

to the ol' Socialist!

Go Pete! :woohoo:

[Ken Burch]

26. Seconded on that!

(that's the message written on Pete's banjo)

[kestrel91316]

74. Oh, that's beautiful.

[Bette Noir]

15. My hero.

God bless Pete Seger.

[trthnd4jstc]

16. Thanks for the Post! That Was A Treat.

[JenniferJuniper]

17. "On the other side, it didn't say nothin'

That side was made for you and me."

Thanks. Made my evening.

[starroute]

18. Sweet recompense for all the crap he went through in the 50's

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAseeger.htm

Seeger's music career was severely damaged when J. Edgar Hoover leaked his FBI file to Frederick Woltman, of the New York World Telegram. He published an article revealing that the Weavers were the first musicians in American history to be investigated for sedition.

Seeger's name also appeared in Red Channels. This pamphlet, distributed to organizations involved in employing people in the entertainment industry, listed 150 people who had been involved in promoting left-wing causes. Although the Weavers had sold over four million records, radio stations now stopped playing their music. They were also banned from appearing on national television.

On 6th February, 1952, Harvey Matusow testified in front of the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) that Seeger was a member of the Communist Party. It was another three years before Seeger was called before the HUAC. Whereas he was willing to talk about his own political beliefs, Seeger refused to name other members of the various left-wing groups that he had belonged to over the years.

As a result of his attitude, on 26th July, 1956, the House of Representatives voted 373 to 9 to cite Seeger, Arthur Miller, and six others for contempt. However, Seeger did not come to trial until March, 1961. He was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months in prison. After worldwide protests, the Court of Appeals ruled that Seeger's indictment was faulty and dismissed the case. Although freed from prison, the blacklisting of Seeger continued until the late sixties.

[keith the dem]

68. Aaron Copland was also blacklisted

The Program yesterday opened with Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" and included "Lincoln Portrait"

Thank God Pete Seeger was was there in person to represent all those hurt during that very "un-american" period.

Yesterday's show was a dream come true for me. This is what I consider to be Patriotism, with "This Land is Your Land" to be the most patriotic song.

[The Wizard]

19. Saw Pete with Arlo

at Carnegie Hall, and met Bill Clinton in the Starbucks three doors east of Carnegie Hall right before the concert. The show ended with This Land is Your Land, and what a treat to sing along with a concert hall full of free thinking patriots. This land was indeed made for you and me.
What a great day for America. It feels like we're regaining our soul.
This Land is Your Land was written with the American spirit at its core.
Hate radio bloviators will be snarling that it is some kind of communist anthem. Fuck 'em; it's my national anthem as it connects the citizens with the country like no other song ever.
Sing it from your windows and roof tops.

[angrycarpenter]

20. Right wing verse

This land is my land
this land is my land
get off my lawn
or I'll blow your head off
I don't care about your problems
I ain't giving you nothing
this land is mine
and mine alone.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. LMAO

It's true! :rofl:

[Crunchy Frog]

43. A verse we used to sing as kids went like this:

This land is my land
This land's not your land
I got a shotgun
and you don't got one
I'll blow your head off
If you don't get off
This land is private property.

We were dumb kids, I know.

[The Wizard]

47. I heard it was

"Your land is my land."

[mikekohr]

69. Native American Version of This Song

"This land ain't your land,
This land is our land,
You stole it from us,
We want it back."


I first heard Charlie Hill sing this on an appearance on the Johnny Carson Show. Charlie Hill has been called the "grandfather of Native Comedy," and has been performing since the 1970's. Mr. Hill was the lead writer on the "Rosanne Show," and wrote what I believe to be the best Thanksgiving Special ever written, certainly the most accurate. In this special Rosanne's children put on a school play in which the colonists invite their Native benefactors to dinner and then slaughter them in front of the mortified parents who were there to witness their children's stage debut. If you think this is far from the truth I urge you to visit:

http://www.brotherhooddays.com/HEROES.html#The%20Pilgrims
http://www.brotherhooddays.com/HEROES.html#Captain%20John%20Smith

There is a common misconception among mainstream America that Native People are with-out humor. Nothing could be further from the truth. And Charlie Hill is living proof.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_59YUAa2XQM
http://media.www.statehornet.com/media/storage/paper1146/news/2007/10/31/Features/Faces.Of.Native.American.Comedy-3065515.shtml



mike kohr

[jwirr]

21. I did not start crying until this song. To me this is connected with every

Democrat since FDR. I am glad to see Pete is still going and wow that grandson is a hunk.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

30. Same here... that is when I lost it.

I said when the concert started that Pete Seeger needed to perform -- what a wonderful surprise!

And yes, Tao. Phew. :-P

[drgonzosghost]

22. After 8 Long Years, I Feel Patriotic Again

Brought real tears to my eyes....

Hey, is that George Lucas at 2:00?

[DrZeeLit]

36. Yes... that was George... the force came along for the ride, huh?

[BrklynLiberal]

23. Amazing. Inspiring. Wonderful.. Wow!!!

[otherlander]

24. They did the missing verses!

:bounce:

[mrs_p]

25. sweet, smart, beautiful man

thanks for all you have done.

[nevergiveup]

27. Oh my!

That was better than drugs or alcohol.

[bobshin]

29. No one deserves the Nobel Peace more than Pete! Get to it!

http://www.nobelprize4pete.org/

[mopinko]

32. shit that is awesome

I hope to be half that crusty and troublesome at 90

[pmorlan1]

33. This is my favorite moment from the concert

It was so great to see Pete Seeger leading everyone in singing "This Land is Your Land". It brought tears to my eyes. Pete Seeger is an American treasure. When our city began busing in the 1970s I was fortunate to meet Pete at an anti-violence march. I have so many favorite Seeger songs...my children still remember singing along with my cassette of Seeger songs that I played anytime we rode in the car. Their favorite song was Pete singing "Viva La Quince Brigada".

[The_Casual_Observer]

35. There was something about high walls and hungry people in that version

Unless I'm mistaken. It's really turned around to have Pete at a national event like this.

[ClayZ]

38. Like yesterday, I remember

looking looking up from behind our table, (inside the vendors tent) at the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. It must have been 15 or 20 years ago, but there was Pete Seeger and Utah Phillips, each picking up an ocarina. Pete said, "I learn an new instrument every year, I think this will be the year of the OCARINA." A frog jumped into my throat and I could not speak, but mr. ClayZ said, "well, that would just about be the highest honor we could never have imagined." Pete laughed and asked Richard to show him how they work. He did, and each of them got a couple ocarinas." If I remember right, we gave them a discount. :-)

This performance means the WORLD to me!


K and R

[BobTheSubgenius]

39. My favourite "Pete Seeger song"

was actually written by his daughter, Peggy. "I'm Gonna Be An Engineer"

[Hannah Bell]

45. not his daughter. his half-sister by his father's second wife.

[Digit]

40. Tears are streaming down my face

I was born in DC and grew up in Arlington where we actually sang that song in elementary school back in the 60's. This song is so appropriate for our times, and I am glad Pete Seeger was able to be a part of this wonderful occasion.

My heart aches to be there with everyone and I miss my hometown, but the TV will have to do.

OMG, I don't believe this day has finally arrived, but now we have to roll up our sleeves and begin repairing our great country.

I am going to be crying like a baby on Tuesday.

[SeattleGirl]

41. I love Pete Seeger!

And I love that song!

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

42. here's the video of his infamous 60s appearance on the Smother Bros.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXnJVkEX8O4

[mmm413]

95. There's a great CD of Seeger's

It's got this. "We Shall Overcome." "Goodnight Irene." "The Union Song." All of these rip-roaring American songs from various eras. It's wonderful. I play it in my car, blare it and sing until my throat's sore!

[OneBlueSky]

44. if there's anyone who deserved to be part of this celebration, it's Pete . . .

and I'm so glad he got invited to participate (I have a hunch that Springsteen had a lot to do with that) . . . Pete was fighting for civil rights before many of us were even born, and being on stage at the celebration of the country's first black president kind of brings things full circle . . . I could tell that he was really pleased and proud to be there, in front of the largest audience he's ever played for . . . his voice may be gone, but he can still do what he does best, which is to get everyone else singing . . .

btw, I read in the local paper that Pete had to hurry back to the Hudson Valley because he's playing for some elementary students at a local school as part of their MLK Day event on Monday . . . still doing it at age 89, and I love him for it . . .

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

46. It was almost like a lifetime achievment award

and no one deserves it more.

[Pastiche423]

48. A few months ago

I watched Pete Seeger perform on Letterman. He was doing a tour for his newest album, Pete Seeger At 89. I thought to myself, could he really be 89 years old? I checked w/IMDB and sure enough, Pete will celebrate his 90th B'day May 3 of this year.

He's an American treasure.

[RoccoR5955]

49. I didn't know the song needed restoring!!!

As a long time friend of the 89 year old folk icon, I didn't know that the song needed any restoring, as you say it. I remember, as a child, in elementary school, it was always sung at assembly directly after the national anthem. Back then, I always thought it was an "official" song, as is the national anthem. As such, it needs no restoration. It just needs more emphasis today, where greed seems to be the way things are.
I was really tickled to see Pete, and his grandson Tao singing it though. At 89, Pete's voice is giving out. He can't sing like he used to, and brings Tao along with him to gigs any more. Tao is just like his granddad, and has his own group, The Mammals. I was also quite tickled to see how big Tao is, a bit taller than Pete, and that's quite tall. I even played the guitar that Tao is playing in the video, about 20 years ago, when I found it in the Seeger's barn, with a couple of strings missing. I put new strings on it, and started playing it, while I was staying at the Seegers' place. I commented to Pete that the instrument sounded quite good, and asked why he hadn't played it. He then started playing it, and I guess he gave it to Tao.
For me, as someone who has sang this, and other songs with Pete, it was a great experience to see him sing it at the inauguration concert. It really choked me up, as I sang along to the TV.

(edit) I did notice that Pete bought a new shirt for the gig, which is a rarity for him! The hat is very old. I can tell you that Pete was tickled, leading so many people in this song, authored by his best friend, Woody Guthrie. The last verse is the best! "There was a great high wall there, That tried to stop me, There was a great big sign there, Said "Private Property," But on the other side, It didn't say nothin', That side was made for you and me."

[zanne]

50. That gave me a chill.

God bless him.

[Stuart G]

53. Me too. nt

[willing dwarf]

52. I'm wiping tears off my laptop

It's been so long we've been despairing and downcast. Ashamed of the actions of the past 8 years, ashamed of the legacy of capitalist greed and international domination... this morning seeing Pete Seeger, still standing tall and smiling with joy gave me such a wonderful sense of all the good things we have done, all the good we still may do with our nation's treasure, our people, our wonderful diversity, our tenacity and courage.

We are so fortunate to have people like Pete Seeger who hold that plumb line up and say honestly what ought to be said about what has been, and who can still smile and rejoice in what is and may be our finest moment yet.

And too, I looked at Bruce Springsteen and thought to myself, "Yes, the torch has been passed." More than ever, I think he can wear the populist mantle rightly.

What a joy to see this!

[Optical.Catalyst]

54. Big K&R

[rosesaylavee]

55. My favorite quote from Pete:

"Participation is what is going to save the Human Race."

I am grateful to see him sing and that he was part of the celebration.

[jimlup]

57. An Instant Classic!

Thanks for posting it!

Congratulations to Pete! You're looking good old friend!

[lazyriver]

59. Wicked cool.

[Veracious]

60. I used to sing this song with my parents on road trips all over the country.

I forgot - we used to sing!

[no1dolo]

61. It's like a revival! Lots of feel-good times come back to us. n/t

[Politicub]

62. This brings tears of joy to my eyes

I feel patriotic again. It's hard to believe that the Bush era has come to an end.

[mdmc]

63. this is gonna be a great year

:cry:

[eShirl]

64. I want a pattern for his hat

Didn't find one but found where it came from.
http://socklady.wordpress.com/2009/01/18/pete-seeger-in-a-socklady-hat/

[davefromqueens]

65. Make This Our National Anthem

and when we go to ballgames and here "God Bless America" (I know , that's not the national anthem) we should simply sing this instead.

[Bluenorthwest]

66. The highlights of the show...

Pete and Stevie, two men who showed me the way long time ago. Woody's anthem. Good stuff. Pete would have protested had he known Gene was censored.

[Harry Monroe]

67. Finally!! I feel as though we are getting our country back!!

After 8 long years of darkness

[Frances]

71. So happy that Pete was there

[peacock]

72. Yes! Finally the verses usually never sung

May our voices be heard again.

Thank you Pete Seeger!!!!

[OneBlueSky]

73. btw, did you notice that Pete jogged off the stage? . . .

89 years old and still spry . . . I wouldn't be at all surprised if he's still chopping his own wood up at the Beacon homestead . . .

[Better Believe It]

75. K & R

[nolabear]

76. Just the kind of person I want my president to pal around with!

The message that this land was made for you and me, the ordinary ones, the ones who do the work and make it go and suffer and die and give our all is what democracy is, and I want that back!

Blessings to Pete Seeger. I signed the petition. So should we all.

[SharonAnn]

77. Bummer, it's been taken down. I'm sorry I missed it. I'm a big fan of Pete Seeger.

[Qutzupalotl]

78. I could have sworn this land was made for Native Americans.

Just sayin'.

[defendandprotect]

85. You're sayin' the truth --

and they welcomed and assisted the Europeans -- !!

"In deo" ... people of God ...

Imgine that Pete Seeger would see it that way, too -- ????

[sakabatou]

79. Video was taken down

[tclambert]

80. Try this link if the first one isn't working

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMYtNlIlGKM

[dipsydoodle]

81. Now that's gone walkies

here's an original and nothing beats an original : http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XaI5IRuS2aE

Woody of course.

[RobertSeattle]

82. HBO Webcast here

http://www.hbo.com/weareone/webcast/index.html

[L. Coyote]

87. Thank you. That link works ..

[WoodyD]

86. Here's an omen for you . . .

Just as I started playing the video, a bald eagle soared into view as if on cue, gliding overhead, circling while the song played. Yeah, I live in the mountains and we do see bald eagles here, but still . . . if the eagles knew what was happening tomorrow, they'd be happy as hell.

[anonymous171]

88. K&R

[JitterbugPerfume]

89. I can't access any of the links

it has been taken down :cry: I am a long time fan of Pete Seeger , going all the way back to Goodnight Irene!

[WePurrsevere]

93. FWIW apparently HBO is trying to get all of "their" snippets

from the celebration scrubbed off YouTube for copyright infringement. :(

[Why Syzygy]

94. New link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg0wiOHc9tI

[progressoid]

96. THNX!