Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings "This Land Is Your Land" by Daptone Records published on 2017-01-20T17:20:24Z This land is your land, This land is my land Though it has often been co-opted as a benignly patriotic campfire sing-a-long, "This Land Is Your Land" was actually written by Woody Guthrie in 1944 as a subversive protest song in biting response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America." At my sister Samra's urging, we recorded our version in 2004, during the George W. Bush presidency, in an effort to re-establish it as a song about social justice. Ironically, when Woodie Guthrie resided in Coney Island in 1950, his landlord was none other than Donald Trump's father, the infamously racist real estate mogul Fred Trump, about whom Guthrie composed his poem "Old Man Trump," including the lines: I suppose that Old Man Trump knows just how much racial hate He stirred up in that bloodpot of human hearts When he drawed that color line Here at his Beach Haven family project Using a dark re-harmonization of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" as an intro, the Dap-Kings re-arranged "This Land" as a rough blues-y march, setting the tone for Sharon to tear into the lyrics of the song with the fiery gusto of a revolutionary. However, it was the inclusion of Guthrie's rarely-heard original verses that really enabled Sharon to reclaim the song as an urgent and unambiguous demand for equality and human dignity in a nation rife with social injustice and patriotic hypocrisy. Today, as we inaugurate a rapacious billionaire to the highest office in the land, those original verses resonate with us as loudly as the day they were written: There was a big high wall there That tried to stop me The sign was painted Said 'Private Property' But on the backside It didn't say nothing This land was made for you and me One bright sunny morning In the shadow of the steeple By the relief office I saw my people As they stood hungry I stood there wondering If God Blessed America for me We are grateful to Woodie Guthrie and to Sharon Jones, two friends of the people and bitter foes of the Trumps, who have given us an essential soundtrack to our struggle. When times get dark, let us not crumble in fear and bigotry. Let us honor the unbreakable spirit of those tireless fighters who have fallen before us. Let us rise to the fight, and let us help each other never to forget this noble truth: This land was made for you and me. -Gabe Roth Genre R&B & Soul Comment by Christel Mayland Jensen I pray you are still funking the hell out of all taxpayers ๐โค๏ธ๐๐๐บโ๏ธ๐ช๐ฅ 2021-09-10T17:17:35Z Comment by Newer News From Nowhere This song of PROTEST needs to be America's National Anthem. Imagine it! A National Anthem that is SINGABLE. (But there's no beating THIS recording, I must say.) 2021-03-21T20:48:57Z Comment by ilovethistrack.com ยฉ <3 https://ilovethistrack.com | https://spoti.fi/34tH6uq 2020-08-24T08:03:25Z Comment by Sosa The Socializa oeffffff damn yo, fuego! 2020-07-15T17:35:26Z Comment by Pamela Garay 3 me encannnnnnnnnta! 2018-03-11T05:45:44Z Comment by Culture Nomades i love it 2017-02-18T08:34:02Z Comment by Jamie Rhind RIP Sharon - 2017-02-16T22:02:47Z Comment by ๐ซKidOfEarth๐ 1000 Bravo to the Dap-Kings for your awesome talent and of course, Sharon...We miss you! Your voice is an eternal diamond! 2017-02-16T21:41:12Z Comment by Jimmy Andrex Play it over videos of the inauguration. This is America the beautiful 2017-02-09T10:30:19Z Comment by sanwl you and me 2017-02-08T07:05:51Z Comment by GiorgioSmith OMG! This women has IT! 2017-02-07T07:17:49Z Comment by Anjan Seal What is this? Song of land grabbers? 2017-02-03T02:59:15Z Comment by Adrian M Goooood rhytm!!! Cool voice! 2017-01-26T00:30:32Z Comment by JaytheLightworker love this! 2017-01-23T19:08:56Z Comment by Spoonyboy Sublime vocals, never grows old. RIP 2017-01-23T17:58:04Z Comment by Tobias Dudek Chills up my spine... Sharon Jones 4ever 2017-01-21T11:37:28Z Comment by RUNNA rip ! this voice for ever !! 2017-01-20T21:09:50Z Comment by Lucky oscar tnx 4 posting! 2017-01-20T20:40:13Z