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This Land is Your Land - Woody Guthrie
Surprisingly I was unable to find a decent tab of "This Land is Your Land" as played
by Woody Guthrie, so I decided to give it a shot. This is my attempt at to tab it
out as played on volume 1, of the Asch Recordings. Note that there are sometimes
significant variations in both the lyrics and music between different recording.
There are two version of this song on the cd - tracks 1 and 14. I included
the intros and solos from both of these tracks since they are quite different.
For the verses/chorus, I mainly used track 1, but there are only slight differences
between track 1 and track 14.
He plays this song in the key of D on this recording. Because of the various
hammer-ons and the alternating bass it appears that he is capoed on the second
fret. The chord names are relative to the capo.
Woody Guthrie used a flat pick to play many of his songs, including this one. I did
my best to indicate the strumming between the melody/bass notes. V indicates a down-
stroke and ^ indicates an up stroke. I also did my best to indicate the timing.
There are also some slight variations between the verses, so if you want to play
it exactly the way he played it listen to the record for these. The song ends
as he appears to go back into the solo.
Please leave a comment if you find any mistakes.
Tuning: Standard (Capo 2nd Fret)
(Key of D)
Intro (as played on track 1):
G V ^ V ^ V ^ C V V ^ V ^ V V ^ V ^
e|------------|----3-3----3-3----3-3--------------|----0--0-0-0-0-----0--0-0-0-0------|
B|------------|----0-0----0-0----0-0--------------|----1--1-1-1-1-----1--1-1-1-1------|
G|------0-----|----0-0----0-0----0-0--------------|----0--0-0-0-0-----0--0-0-0-0------|
D|--0h2-------|--0------0-----------------0-------|-----------------------------------|
A|------------|-----------------------0h2---------|--3--------------3-----------------|
E|------------|----------------3------------------|-----------------------------------|
4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + (Into Verse)
Intro (as played on track 14):
C V V ^ V ^ G7 V ^ ^ V ^ C V V ^ V ^ F V ^ V ^ V ^
e|----0--0-0-0-0----1-1--1-1-1-------|----0--0-0-0-0---------------------|----1-1----1--1-1-1---------|
B|----1--1-1-1-1----0-0--0-0-0-------|----1--1-1-1-1---------------------|----1-1----1--1-1-1---------|
G|----0--0-0-0-0----0-0--0-0-0-------|----0--0-0-0-0---------------------|----2-2----2--2-2-2---------|
D|-----------------------------------|---------------------0-2-----------|--3------3-----------2-0----|
A|--3--------------------------------|--3-------------3-3----------------|-------------------------3--|
E|----------------3------------------|-----------------------------------|----------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
C V ^ V ^ V ^ G V ^ V ^ V ^ C V V ^ V ^
e|------0-0------0--0-0-0-----------|----3-3----3--3-3-3---------------|----0--0-0-0-0----|
B|------1-1------1--1-1-1-----------|----0-0----0--0-0-0---------------|----1--1-1-1-1----|
G|------0-0------0--0-0-0------0----|----0-0----0--0-0-0---------------|----0--0-0-0-0----|
D|--0h2------0h2-----------0h2---2--|--0------0------------------------|------------------|
A|----------------------------------|-----------------------0-2--------|--3---------------|
E|----------------------------------|---------------------3------------|------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + (Into Verse)
Verse/Chorus:
C V V F V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^ C V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^
e|----0----0--|----1-1----1-1----1-1----1-1-------|----0-0----0-0----0-0----0-0-------|
B|----1----1--|----1-1----1-1----1-1----1-1-------|----1-1----1-1----1-1----1-1-------|
G|----0----0--|----2-2----2-2----2-2--2-2-2-------|----0-0----0-0----0-0----0-0-------|
D|------------|--3------3------3------------------|---------2-------------2-----------|
A|--3----3----|-----------------------------------|--3-------------3------------------|
E|------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
This... your Land... my land...
G V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^ C V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^
e|----3-3-----3-3----3-3----3-3------|----0-0------0-0----0-0----0-0-----|
B|----0-0-----0-0----0-0----0-0------|----1-1------1-1----1-1----1-1-----|
G|----0-0-----0-0----0-0----0-0------|----0-0------0-0----0-0----0-0-----|
D|----------0-------------0----------|---------0h2-------------2---------|
A|-----------------------------------|--3---------------3----------------|
E|--3--------------3-----------------|-----------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
-fornia... island...
F V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^ C V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^
e|----1-1----1-1----1-1----1-1-------|----0-0------0-0----0-0----0-0-------|
B|----1-1----1-1----1-1----1-1-------|----1-1------1-1----1-1----1-1-------|
G|----2-2--2-2-2----2-2--2-2-2-------|----0-0------0-0----0-0----0-0-------|
D|--3-------------3------------------|---------0h2-------------2-----------|
A|-----------------------------------|--3---------------3------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
forest... water...
G V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^ C V V ^ V ^ V V ^ V ^ C V V ^ V ^
e|----3-3-----3-3----3-3----3-3------|----0--0-0-0-0-----0--0-0-0-0------|----0--0-0-0-0---|
B|----0-0-----0-0----0-0----0-0------|----1--1-1-1-1-----1--1-1-1-1------|----1--1-1-1-1---|
G|----0-0-----0-0----0-0----0-0------|----0--0-0-0-0-----0--0-0-0-0------|----0--0-0-0-0---|
D|----------0-------------0----------|-----------------------------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------------------------|--3--------------3-----------------|--3--------------|
E|--3--------------3-----------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 +
(Into Verse or Solo)
This land... me...
Solo (as played on track 1):
C F V ^ V ^ V ^ C V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^
e|------------|----1-1----1--1-1-1----------------|--------0-0----0--0-0-0--------0-0-|
B|------------|----1-1----1--1-1-1----------------|--------1-1----1--1-1-1--------1-1-|
G|------------|----2-2----2--2-2-2--2-0-----------|--------0-0--0-0--0-0-0--------0-0-|
D|-------0-2--|--3------3-------------------------|--0-0h2------------------0-0h2-----|
A|--3-3-------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E|------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
G V ^ V ^ V ^ C V V ^ V ^
e|----3-3------3-3----3-3------------|----0--0-0-0-0---|
B|----0-0------0-0----0-0------------|----1--1-1-1-1---|
G|--0-0-0------0-0----0-0------------|----0--0-0-0-0---|
D|---------0h2------0--------0-------|-----------------|
A|-------------------------2---------|--3--------------|
E|-----------------------------------|-----------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + (Into Verse)
Solo (as played on track 14):
C F V ^ V ^ V ^ C V ^ V ^ V ^
e|------------|----1-1----1--1-1-1----------------|------0-0------0--0-0-0------------|
B|------------|----1-1----1--1-1-1----------------|------1-1------1--1-1-1------------|
G|------------|----2-2----2--2-2-2----------------|------0-0------0--0-0-0----0-------|
D|-------0-2--|--3------3-----------2-0-----------|--0h2------0h2-----------2---2-----|
A|--3-3-------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E|------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
G V ^ V ^ V ^ C V ^ V ^ V ^
e|----3-3----3--3-3-3----------------|------0-0----0--0-0-0----------------|
B|----0-0----0--0-0-0----------------|------1-1----1--1-1-1----------------|
G|----0-0----0--0-0-0----------------|------0-0--0-0--0-0-0----------------|
D|--0------0-------------------------|--0h2--------------------0-2---------|
A|-----------------------0-2---------|-----------------------3-------------|
E|---------------------3-------------|-------------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
F V ^ V ^ V ^ V ^ C V ^ V ^ V V ^ V ^
e|----1-1----1-1----1-1----1-1-------|----0-0------0-0----0--0-0-0-0-------|
B|----1-1----1-1----1-1----1-1-------|----1-1------1-1----1--1-1-1-1-------|
G|----2-2--2-2-2----2-2--2-2-2-------|--0-0-0------0-0----0--0-0-0-0-------|
D|--3-------------3------------------|---------0h2-------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|------------------3------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
G V V ^ V ^ G7 V ^ ^ V ^ C V V ^ V ^
e|----3--3-3-3-3-----1-1--1-1-1------|----0--0-0-0-0----|
B|----0--0-0-0-0-----0-0--0-0-0------|----1--1-1-1-1----|
G|----0--0-0-0-0-----0-0--0-0-0------|----0--0-0-0-0----|
D|-----------------------------------|------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|--3---------------|
E|--3--------------3-----------------|------------------|
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + (Into Verse)
Chorus:
This land is Fyour land, this land is Cmy land
From CaliGfornia to the New York CIsland
From the Redwood FForest to the Gulf Stream Cwaters
GThis land was made for you and Cme.
As I went Fwalking that ribbon of Chighway
I saw aGbove me that endless Cskyway
I saw beFlow me that golden Cvalley
GThis land was made for you and Cme.
[Solo]
I roamed and I Frambled and I followed my Cfootsteps
To the sparkling Gsands of her diamond Cdeserts
While all aFround me a voice was Csounding
GThis land was made for you and Cme.
[Chorus]
When the sun came Fshining, and I was Cstrolling
And the wheat fields Gwaving and the dust clouds Crolling
A voice come a Fchanting, As the fog was Clifting,
GThis land was made for you and Cme.
[Outro] (fades out as he plays beginning of solo)
Additional Verses:
As I went Fwalking I saw a sign Cthere
And on the sign it Gsaid "NoC Trespassing."
But on the Fother side it didn't say Cnothing,
GThat side was made for you and Cme.
In the squares of the Fcity, In the shadow of a Csteeple;
By the relief Goffice, I'd seen my Cpeople.
As they stood there Fhungry, I stood there Casking,
GIs this land made for you and Cme?
Nobody Fliving can ever stop Cme,
As I go Gwalking that freedom Chighway;
Nobody Fliving can Cmake me turn back
GThis land was made for you and Cme.