This Land Is Your Land
Woody Guthrie’s 1945 song “This Land is Your Land” is frequently referred to as a patriotic hymn sung by school choirs in honor of the United States of America. Sadly, the original piece isn’t — in particular patriotic if the removed verses aren’t added back in. The original song represented the huge social and economic inequalities that existed in the United States at the time, as well as how people were affected by the Great Depression. That was one of Guthrie’s numerous efforts to bring social justice to the frontline of the public debate, and it was a success.
This Land Is Your Land
I Shot The Sheriff
In 1973, Bob Marley and the Wailers released the single “I Shot the Sheriff.” When the song was first released, many people mistook it for a legitimate song about police. Esther Anderson, Marley’s ex-girlfriend, went, on 2012, to say that the record had been erroneous. According to Anderson, the entire song is about Marley’s objection to her use of birth control, with the word “sheriff” actually translating to “doctor” in the original. Because of this piece of information, the song takes on a new meaning!
I Shot The Sheriff