1988 studio version
| Woody Guthrie: | This land is your land and 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 | |
| Woody and Arlo Guthrie: | As I went walking that ribbon of highway |
| I saw above me an endless skyway | |
| I saw below me the golden valley | |
| This land was made for you and me | |
| Arlo 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 | |
| Bruce Springsteen: | I roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps |
| To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts | |
| And all around me a voice was sounding | |
| Said this land was made for you and me | |
| Taj Mahal: | 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 | |
| Oh this land was made for you and me | |
| Emmylou Harris: | When the sun comes shining and I was strolling |
| And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling | |
| As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting | |
| This land was made for you and me | |
| Little Richard: | This land is my land, this land is your 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 | |
| Bono: | As I went walking I saw a sign there |
| And on that sign there see "No Trespassing" | |
| But on the other side I see nothing | |
| Yeah that sign was made for you and me | |
| Bono: | This land is your land |
| Bruce Springsteen: | This land is my land |
| Arlo Guthrie: | From California |
| Emmylou Harris: | To the New York Island |
| Little Richard: | From the Redwood Forest |
| John Mellencamp and his band: | To the Gulf Stream waters |
| Bono: | This land was made for you and me |
| Bruce Springsteen: | Nobody living can ever stop me |
| As I go walking the freedom highway | |
| Nobody living can ever make me turn back | |
| Oh this land was made for you and me | |
| John Mellencamp and his band: | 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 |
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND is a song by Woody Guthrie. See the original Woody Guthrie version for more details.
Bruce Springsteen performed THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND live many times in his career, mostly during The River Tour. Several of his live versions were officially released. See the "Official Releases" and "Live History" sections below for more details.
The above lyrics are for the 1988 studio version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND seen in the A Vision Shared - A Tribute To Woody Guthrie And Leadbelly home video. The song was performed by an ensemble of musicians (Arlo Guthrie, Bruce Springsteen, Taj Mahal, Emmylou Harris, Little Richard, Bono, and John Mellencamp and his band) whose parts were taped at different locations and different times (around early 1988) and then mixed together. The mix also incorporates parts from an original Woody Guthrie recording of the song.
Bruce Springsteen recorded a solo acoustic studio version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND in 2009. See the 2009 studio version for more details.
A Vision Shared - A Tribute To Woody Guthrie And Leadbelly is a various artists benefit documentary and home video in support of Folkways Records and the Woody Guthrie Archives. Narrated by Robbie Robertson, it features interviews with and performances by leading folk, rock, and country recording artists including Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Little Richard, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, U2, and others. The documentary premiered on Showtime on 17 Sep 1988 and was released as a home video by Columbia Records later that year. It was originally issued on VHS and Laserdisc and in October 2000 it was reissued on DVD.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band recorded two Woody Guthrie songs for the documentary and homes video, I AIN'T GOT NO HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE and VIGILANTE MAN. These were recorded live during the private rehearsals that took place in late January and early February 1988 in preparation for the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour. Toby Scott was the audio engineer. Springsteen also appears on an ensemble studio performance of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND.
Along with the documentary and home video Columbia Records also released a various artists tribute album that featured studio versions of I AIN'T GOT NO HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE and VIGILANTE MAN. All artist royalties from both the album and video supported Folkways Records and the Woody Guthrie Archives which were acquired by the Smithsonian Institution in 1987.
As part of its "Interchords" series, Columbia Records also released a limited US-only promotional album containing the soundtrack for the A Vision Shared - A Tribute To Woody Guthrie And Leadbelly documentary. It includes the same live Feb 1988 versions of I AIN'T GOT NO HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE and VIGILANTE MAN, studio version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, and interview excerpts.
During The River Tour and the Born In The U.S.A. Tour, Bruce Springsteen usually used the chorus and three verses (verse 1, verse 2, and verse 3 below), and occasionally he added one of three more verses. The chorus and the six verses are:
| Chorus: | Well 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 | |
| Well this land was made for you and me | |
| (example taken from the live 28 Dec 1980 version) | |
| Verse 1: | Well once I rode that ribbon highway |
| I saw above me an endless sky | |
| I saw below me a golden valley | |
| Oh this land was made for you and me | |
| (example taken from the live 19 Apr 1981 version) | |
| Verse 2: | I roamed and I rambled and I followed my footsteps |
| Through the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts | |
| And all around me a voice was crying | |
| It said this land was made for you and me | |
| (example taken from the live 28 Apr 1981 version) | |
| Verse 3: | Well the sun came shining as I went strolling |
| Through the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling | |
| And the bells were ringing and the fog was lifting | |
| And I seen this land was made for you and me | |
| (example taken from the live 13 May 1981 version) | |
| Verse 4: | Now they're dying on the streets of New York and in Liberty City |
| Down in Harlem County and on the streets of Brixton | |
| People watching, people worry | |
| If this land was made for you and me | |
| (example taken from the live 26 May 1981 version) | |
| Verse 5: | And though they may try, they'll never stop me |
| And though they may try, they'll never own me | |
| 'Cause I am wandering, and I know | |
| That this land was made for you and me | |
| (example taken from the live 14 Sep 1981 version) | |
| Verse 6: | One Sunday morning in the shadow of the steeple |
| By the Relief Office I saw the people | |
| And they were hungry and they were wondering | |
| If this land was made for you and me | |
| (example taken from the live 04 Sep 1985 version) |
The chorus, verse 1, verse 2, and verse 3 are from the original Woody Guthrie version. Verse 4 is written by Springsteen. He used it eight times in Europe in May 1981. Starting from the second performance (28 Apr 1981 in Paris), he modified that verse to include a reference to the Brixton riot that took place on 11 Apr 1981. Verse 5 has some similarities to a verse that Guthrie occasionally used: "Nobody living can ever stop me / As I go walking that freedom highway / Nobody living can ever make me turn back / This land was made for you and me". It seems that Springsteen intended to sing that verse but he forgot the lyrics, so he made them up on the spot (see the live 14 Sep 1981 version). Verse 6 is a verse that Guthrie occasionally used.
When Springsteen performed THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND in a full-band arrangement during The River Tour (see the "Live History" section below), he followed the sequence "verse 1 / verse 2 / chorus / verse 3 / chorus". When he performed it in a solo acoustic arrangement (sometimes accompanied by piano, see the "Live History" section below), he generally followed the sequence "verse 1 / verse 2 / verse 3 / chorus", with some exceptions:
When Springsteen performed THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND during Born In The U.S.A. Tour (see the "Live History" section below), he generally followed the sequence "verse 1 / verse 2 / verse 3 / chorus", with some exceptions:
When Springsteen performed THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND during the election rallies for U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008, he used the sequence "verse 1 / verse 2 / verse 3 / verse 6" with the chorus repeated throughout the song:
When Springsteen performed THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND with Pete Seeger and Tao RodrÃguez-Seeger during the Barack Obama inaugural celebration concert "We Are One" on 18 Jan 2009, two verses were performed for the first time by Springsteen. These two verses were also performed on 03 May 2009 during The Clearwater Concert. One of these two verses was also performed on 15 Mar 2012 during the South By Southwest music festival and on 18 Oct 2012 during the Barack Obama election rally in Parma, OH.
| Verse 7: | I climbed a wall there that tried to stop me |
| A painted sign there said "private property" | |
| But on the other side it didn't say nothing | |
| That side was made for you and me | |
| (example taken from the live 18 Jan 2009 version) | |
| Verse 8: | Nobody living can ever stop me |
| As I go walking my freedom highway | |
| Nobody living can make me turn back | |
| This land was made for you and me | |
| (example taken from the live 18 Jan 2009 version) |
When Springsteen recorded THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND in studio in 2009 (see the 2009 studio version), he used the sequence "chorus / verse 1 / verse 2 / verse 7 / verse 3 / verse 6 / chorus".
Bruce Springsteen also officially released another studio version and seven live versions of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND is known to have been performed at least 82 times during The River Tour (138 dates, October 1980 to September 1981), including the last 64 consecutive shows of the tour (all shows from 09 Apr 1981 onward). A few setlists from that period are incomplete, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during The River Tour. During the first North American leg of the tour, the song was played in a full-band arrangement. During the European leg and the second North American leg of the tour, the song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica. Among these acoustic performances, some featured piano accompaniment from Roy Bittan. See the list below for details about individual versions. Some version included an extra verse. See the "Springsteen's Verses" section above for more details. The live 29 Dec 1980 version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was released on the Live/1975-85 box set in 1986. The live 31 Dec 1980 version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was released on the Nassau Coliseum, New York 1980 official live download in 2015. The live 05 Jun 1981 version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was released on the Wembley Arena June 5, 1981 official live download in 2018. The live 09 Jul 1981 version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena 1981 official live download in 2020.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was performed 20 times during the Born In The U.S.A. Tour (156 dates, June 1984 to October 1985), all during the final leg of the tour (United States, Aug-Oct 1985). On this tour, the song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. The last nine versions (from 04 Sep 1985 onward) included an extra verse. See the list below and the "Springsteen's Verses" section above for more details. The live 27 Sep 1985 version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was released on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Sept 27, 1985 official live download in 2019.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was performed off-tour on 14 Jun 1981 at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA, during the fourth annual Survival Sunday anti-nuclear benefit. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement. See the live 14 Jun 1981 version for more details.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was performed off-tour on 29 Sep 1996 at Severance Hall in Cleveland, OH, during a Woody Guthrie tribute concert. The song was played with the concert's all-cast, led by Arlo Guthrie. This live 29 Sep 1996 version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was officially released in 2000 on the various artists album 'Til We Outnumber 'Em. See the live 29 Sep 1996 version for more details.
THIS LAND IS MY LAND was performed off-tour on 18 Jan 2009 at Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, during the Barack Obama inaugural celebration concert "We Are One". The song was played in an acoustic guitar and percussion arrangement, with Pete Seeger, his grandson Tao RodrÃguez-Seeger, and a large choir. The song was also rehearsed the previous day at Lincoln Memorial. The 18 Jan 2009 concert was released on The Official Inaugural Celebration DVD in 2010. See the live 18 Jan 2009 version for more details.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was performed off-tour on 03 May 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, during The Clearwater Concert. The song was played with the concert's all-cast, led by Pete Seeger. The song was released on the Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday Celebration: The Clearwater Concert DVD in 2009. See the live 03 May 2009 version for more details.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was performed off-tour on 15 Mar 2012 at Moody Theater in Austin, TX, during the South By Southwest music festival. The song was played in a full-band arrangement with the E Street Band and with many of the night's performers joining in onstage. See the live 15 Mar 2012 version for more details.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was performed on all of the four Barack Obama 2008 election rallies on which Springsteen appeared. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement, extended to include four verses plus the chorus repeated at least five times (see the "Springsteen's Verses" section above for more details), and featured the "Yes We Can" chant. Video for the live 06 Oct 2008 version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was officially released in 2010 on the soundtrack album By the People, For the People. See the live 04 Oct 2008 version, the live 05 Oct 2008 version, the live 06 Oct 2008 version, and the live 02 Nov 2008 version for more details.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was performed on one of the seven Barack Obama 2012 election rallies on which Springsteen appeared. The song was played in a solo guitar and harmonica arrangement. See the live 18 Oct 2012 (Parma, OH) version for more details.
A short solo acoustic version of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND was performed on 03 Jun 2013 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan, Italy, during the Wrecking Ball Tour, as an introduction to WE ARE ALIVE (see the live 03 Jun 2013 version), but was not performed on its own on any of the tour's shows.
If you have a good scan or photo of the A Vision Shared - A Tribute To Woody Guthrie And Leadbelly laserdisc, U.S. or Japanese issue, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
According to Backstreets magazine issue #26 (Fall 1988), the A Vision Shared - A Tribute To Woody Guthrie And Leadbelly documentary was to air on Showtime on 17 Sep 1988. However other sources state that it originally aired on PBS. Brucebase particularly states that the documentary "had its world debut airing on October 3, 1988 on the U.S.A.'s national PBS TV network." If you have any information about when the documentary premiered and/or on which TV network, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
If you have any comments, corrections, or additions to this page, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND on this website:
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND [1988 studio version]
