The Real v. the Ideal

God Bless America or This Land is Your Land

The real versus the ideal

There are two views of America- one sees America as a beacon of liberty to the world and the greatest nation on Earth. The other sees America as a place pulled by a vision of fantastic high ideals, but that reaching those ideals is still a work in progress.

These competing visions of America can be seen in two famous songs.

First let's look at the songs:

Kate Smith introduces God Bless America - YouTube

Here is composer Woody Guthrie with his original campfire sing-along "This Land Is Your Land." Notice that there are some lyrics here that have been censored and which you didn't sing around the campfire. Woody Guthrie- This Land Is Your Land - YouTube

Think about what makes these songs different. How do they see America?