50: Woody Guthrie writes his ode to America This Land Is Your Land
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was a prolific American songwriter and folk musician. He described himself in one of his songs as “The Great Historical Bum”, a first hand observer and survivor of the economic and environmental hardships of the Dust Bowl, which shook the Great Plains states during the Great Depression. In February 1940, Guthrie penned his most famous song, “This Land Is Your Land”. It was originally titled “God Blessed America”. It was inspired in part by his experiences during a cross-country trip and in part by his distaste for the Irving Berlin song “God Bless America,” which he considered unrealistic and complacent. He was also tired of hearing Kate Smith sing it on the radio. The melody is based on the gospel song “When the World’s on Fire”, best known as sung by the country group The Carter Family around 1930. The song was recorded in 1944 but 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. In 2002, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.