Song and lyrics of compiled lyrics inspired and by Woody Guthrie, by Erin O’Dowd.

I dream of a day when there are horses and higher ways
And people lay their guns down to play games, guitar, and sing
And dream of better things

It used to be there were horses, and highways were just cut paths in
the green grass
Every man was for his own if you did bad, you might get blown
all your food it was hard sown
And then one day, there are horses, and highways.

And there was a man who played guitar and raised his voice to fight
a war–he knew things had gone too far–so for peace he set his heart
On sights afar and sights beneath–
And the dust it rose and carried his feet
Across the country singin’ songs
of justic and equality
everything as it should be.

He showed us that this is the day,
Where we’ve got horses and highways
And houses and driveways
“This land is our land,” and with every step we take our stand
So, together, we must band,
Bound for glory.

“From California to the New York Islands,”
Everybody’s tryin’ to get high land
From Okemah to Tahlequah, everybody’s better off honest
Than bearing the cross of capitalism,
‘free’ markets, and net loss
living like a slave to corporations, in little boxes
walking lost.

From the wild to the five civilized tribes
In your eyes, a world across time
friom Tsa’la’gi to Angl’ais
Green or blue or brown or grey
Look in someone’s eyes today;
Shine a little sunlight on their mind
And any peace that you can find.

You are poetry–
you are a peace flag waving
For pastures of plenty–
for posterity.

“This land is your land,”
And it’s already won.

Turn your heart towards the sun
Turn your face to the sky
This is life–go big
Or go home.
“by boxcar, thumb, and foot”
However you can–
Be golden, be true, be you.

And “this land is my land” too

“And we will fight together,
We shall not be moved
We will fight together
We shall not be moved.
Just like a tree
That’s planted by the water
We
Shall not
Be moved.”

Originally published in This Land, Vol. 4 Issue 13. July 1, 2013.