Woody Guthrie wrote "This Land Is Your Land" in 1940 after arriving in New York from Oklahoma. Over time, he changed the lyrics and performed it different ways. Many artists later performed the song to share Guthrie's message against social injustices. Known as the "people's troubadour," Guthrie used his music to unite people and fight oppression during the Depression era. His legacy continues to inspire artists today through his simple yet politically impactful songs that belong to all people.

1. THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND

2. • Some have called "This Land Is Your Land" an
alternative national anthem.
• It was written and first sung by Woody
Guthrie (1912 – 67).
• Over time, it's been sung by everyone.
• Here is the story of an American classic.

3. • The song was
originally written in
1940, when Woody
Guthrie first arrived
in New York City from
Oklahoma.
• Guthrie didn't record
the song until 1944,
and he changed the
lyrics over the years,
performing it many
different ways.

4. • Woody's influence on singers and songwriters
today is reflected in the work of Bob Dylan
and Bruce Springsteen.

5. • Many artists including Bruce Springsteen, Pete
Seeger, Johnny Cash started performing it,
trying to get Guthrie's message across.
• This gained renewed popularity after the 2001
terrorist attacks on America and many singers
performed it in an effort to bring people
together after the tragedy.

6. • Any examination of the Depression era in the United
States would be incomplete without mention of
Woodrow Guthrie. More than any other individual,
he wrote the musical score for the 1930s.
• He witnessed the worst of the Depression and he
became the “people’s troubadour”.

7. • Stylistically, his songs stress the importance of voices
and what they have to say.
• The simplicity and imperfections of the style suggest
that anyone can write and sing these songs, that
they belong to everyone and anyone.

9. • To Woody songs were weapons to be used in a
battle over the American consciousness, with
real political ramifications.
• Woody's songs also united people in a very
practical way in the fight against social
injustices.
• Some of Woody's favorite audiences were
union meetings, labor strikes, or rallies.

12. • John Steinbeck described Guthrie this way:
"Woody is just Woody. He is just a voice and a
guitar. He sings the songs of a people and I
suspect that he is, in a way, that people. Harsh
voice and nasal, there is nothing sweet about
Woody, and there is nothing sweet about the
songs he sings. But there is something more
important for those who will listen. There is the
will of the people to endure and fight against
oppression. I think we call this the American
spirit."

13. • Woody Guthrie's legacy lives on in his music. His
songs and life are celebrated every year during
numerous tribute festivals in the United States.
Today's artists still cover his songs.
• Woody Guthrie's message that people can change
the world for the better remains as relevant now as it
was over half a century ago.