How 'This Land Is Your Land' Roamed And Rambled Into American Life
Woody Guthrie was born into the Dust Bowl's devastation and displacement. His signature song, taught in classrooms and sung at protests, offers an expansive, inclusive idea of what home can be.
This story is part of American Anthem, a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and call to action. Find more at NPR.org/Anthem.
"This Land Is Your" is sung in all kinds of settings: elementary schools, political campaigns, parades. During the tense period of President Trump's proposed travel ban, protesters sang it to passengers who'd been detained at JFK and Philadelphia International Airport. called it "one of the most beautiful songs ever written." And although it's been recorded hundreds of times, most people don't learn it from a recording.
