They were formally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry at a special ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on September 17, 2013.
Their 2004 album "O.C.M.S." was selected by CMT (Country Music Television) as one of the top-10 bluegrass albums of that year. Their current tour includes bars, festivals, and larger venues. They are best experienced in smaller settings, where their infectious high-energy style electrifies the crowd, often a mixture of older listeners and 20-somethings.
They make frequent guest appearances on A Prairie Home Companion.
This Land Is Your Land
Old Crow Medicine Show Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw above me that endless skyway:
I saw below me that golden valley:
This land was made for you and me.
This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
And all around me a voice was sounding:
This land was made for you and me.
This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
This land was made for you and me.
This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.
This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?
This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.
This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
The lyrics to Old Crow Medicine Show's song "This Land is Your Land" are a tribute to America's great expanses from coast to coast, mountains to valleys, and everything in between. The verses recount the wanderings of a traveler who witnesses the natural beauty and astounding diversity of the United States. The opening lines speak of a ribbon of highway stretching out beneath an endless skyway, the burgeoning landscape glittering beneath it. The chorus repeats, "This land is your land, this land is my land," driving home the point that every American can claim ownership of this land, from "California to the New York island; from the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters."
As the song progresses, the singer speaks of following their footsteps to diamond deserts and wheat fields, where they hear a voice proclaiming that the land belongs to every American. They come across a "No Trespassing" sign, but on seeing that the other side is left blank, understand that they too are welcome here. The final verse speaks of standing before a relief office, filled with hunger and a demand for clarity, asking if the land belongs to everyone or not. The message here is clear - this is a land of opportunity and equality, and no one can ever take away the freedom to walk along the open road.
Line by Line Meaning
As I was walking that ribbon of highway,
As I journeyed down the road marked with a white dotted line,
I saw above me that endless skyway:
I witnessed the boundless airspace above me.
I saw below me that golden valley:
The earth beneath me glimmered golden in the valley.
This land was made for you and me.
This land was created for every one of us.
This land is your land This land is my land
The land we live on equally belongs to you and me.
From California to the New York island;
From the west coast of California to the eastern New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters,
From the forests of redwood standing tall to the Gulf Stream round the coast;
I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
I've journeyed and wandered on this land, tracing back my trails.
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
I reached the diamond deserts with fine sands that shone like sparks;
And all around me a voice was sounding:
Voices encircled me from everywhere.
When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
The sun appeared in the sky, and I leisurely took a walk,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
The wheat fields swayed, and as the dust clouds rolled,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
While the fog went away, a voice echoed in a rhythmic melody.
As I went walking I saw a sign there
I saw a board on my journeying,
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
On the board read, "Do Not Enter."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
But on the alternative side, there was no label or notice to warn me,
That side was made for you and me.
That view belonged to you and me.
In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
I saw my community standing under the church tower's shadow,
By the relief office I seen my people;
I saw my people flocking to the place of relief,
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
I asked myself whether this land should make my people go hungry,
Is this land made for you and me?
Was this land created to keep us hungry and thirsty?
Nobody living can ever stop me,
No living being can prevent me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
As I journey down the road to freedom;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
No one can make me retrace my steps in the path.
This land was made for you and me.
This entire land was designed for every one of us.
Contributed by Arianna F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.