America’s Most Important Folk Song Was Written 86 Years Ago Today

On February 23, 1940, American folk legend Woody Guthrie wrote 'This Land is My Land' in his hotel room in New York City.

The song would go on to become one of the most influential and iconic folk songs ever written, with its lyrics about the idyllic American dream and its contrast with the country's wartorn, depression-era politics.

'This Land is Your Land' Was An Ode to American Virtues

Guthrie's iconic song is often associated with traditional, patrotic, American values, but the song was originally written as a response to Irving Berlin's overly romantic song "God Bless America", which Guthrie found too simple.

Instead, his song explores how not every American was feeling blessed among the growing violence and economic strife of the '40s, contrasting that traditional folk patriotism with a more cynical, realistic depiction of life in middle America.

Though Guthrie wouldn't record and release 'This Land is Your Land' for another four years, the song became an anthem of the 1940s, ushering in a whole new generation of folk artists who used the simple chords and stripped-back sounds of the genre to write even more powerful protest songs.

Bob Dylan was famously inspired by Woody Guthrie, forming a close relationship with the folk legend in the final years of his life. It's the quiet cynicsm of 'This Land is Your Land' that inspired many of Dylan's biggest hits, including 'The Times They Are A-Changin' and 'Like A Rolling Stone'.

In 2002, Guthrie's protest tune was selected as one of fifty American songs to the National Recording Registry, which honors the most important and influential music in the country's history. It was also named the eleventh 'Best Protest Song of All Time' by Rolling Stone in 2025.