This Land Is Your Land

• By: Woody Guthrie
• Album: Woody Guthrie: The Anthology

Lyrics:

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary	Meanings
land /lænd/ A1	noun - the part of the earth's surface that is not permanently covered by water
walking /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ A1	verb - moving on foot at a moderate speed
highway /ˈhaɪweɪ/ A2	noun - a main road connecting important places
skyway /ˈskaɪweɪ/ B2	noun - an elevated enclosed passageway connecting two buildings
golden /ˈɡoʊldən/ B1	adjective - of or like gold
valley /ˈvæli/ A2	noun - a low area between hills or mountains
roamed /roʊmd/ B2	verb - to go aimlessly; wander
rambled /ˈræmbəld/ B2	verb - to walk for pleasure in the countryside
sparkling /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/ B2	adjective - shining brightly
sands /sændz/ A2	noun - small, loose grains of worn or disintegrated rock
diamond /ˈdaɪəmənd/ B1	adjective - resembling a diamond
deserts /ˈdezərts/ A2	noun - an area of land where it is very dry and there are few plants
wall /wɔːl/ A1	noun - a long, solid structure that is built to separate two areas
private /ˈpraɪvət/ B1	adjective - belonging to or for the use of one particular person or group of people only
property /ˈprɒpərti/ B1	noun - a thing or things belonging to someone
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat for the earth
shining /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/ B1	verb - giving out or reflecting light
wheat /wiːt/ A2	noun - a grain that is used to make flour for bread, cakes, etc.
fields /fiːldz/ A1	noun - an area of open land, especially one planted with crops or pasture
waving /ˈweɪvɪŋ/ A2	verb - moving back and forth
dust /dʌst/ A2	noun - fine, dry powder consisting of tiny particles of earth or waste matter
clouds /klaʊdz/ A1	noun - a visible mass of condensed water vapor floating in the atmosphere
rolling /ˈroʊlɪŋ/ A2	verb - moving by turning over and over
fog /fɒɡ/ A2	noun - a thick cloud of tiny water droplets suspended in the atmosphere at or near the earth's surface that obscures or restricts visibility
lifting /ˈlɪftɪŋ/ B1	verb - raising to a higher position

Grammar:

• This land *is* your land, and this land *is* my land

  ➔ Simple Present Tense (be verb)

  ➔ The use of the simple present tense emphasizes a general truth or a permanent state. "Is" here connects "this land" with the possessive pronouns "your" and "my", indicating ownership or belonging.

• From California *to* the New York island

  ➔ Preposition 'to' indicating direction or extent

  ➔ The preposition "to" indicates a range or extent, showing the boundaries of the land being described.

• As I *went* walking that ribbon of highway

  ➔ Simple Past Tense of 'go' ('went')

  ➔ The simple past tense "went" describes a completed action in the past. Here, it indicates the act of walking along the highway.

• And I *saw* above me that endless skyway

  ➔ Simple Past Tense of 'see' ('saw')

  ➔ The simple past tense "saw" indicates a completed action in the past - the act of seeing the skyway.

• I *roamed* and *rambled*, and I've followed my footsteps

  ➔ Simple Past Tense ('roamed', 'rambled') and Present Perfect ('have followed')

  ➔ "Roamed" and "rambled" in the simple past describe completed actions, while "have followed" in the present perfect suggests an action that started in the past and has relevance to the present.

• There *was* a big, high wall there that tried to stop me

  ➔ Past Simple of 'be' ('was') and Relative Clause ('that tried to stop me')

  ➔ "Was" indicates the existence of the wall in the past. The relative clause "that tried to stop me" describes the wall's function or attribute.

• A sign was painted *said* "Private Property"

  ➔ Past Passive Voice ('was painted') and Indirect Speech ('said')

  ➔ "Was painted" indicates that the sign was acted upon (i.e., someone painted it). "Said" introduces what the sign conveyed - a message about private property.

• But on the backside, it didn't *say* nothing

  ➔ Double Negative (didn't say nothing)

  ➔ The use of "didn't" and "nothing" together creates a double negative. While grammatically incorrect in standard English, it is used here for emphasis and to create a colloquial tone. The intended meaning is that the backside of the sign *did* say something (implicitly).