Best known for his wry humor, Snider has been a fixture on the Americana, alt-country, and folk scene since his debut on MCA, entitled Songs for the Daily Planet, named for the bar where Snider used to play regularly in Memphis. On that album were the minor hits "Talkin' Seattle Grunge Rock Blues", a folk song about the early '90's grunge scene, featuring a band that "refused to play", and "Alright Guy", which later became the title cut of Gary Allan's 2001 album.
He released two more albums for MCA, Step Right Up and Viva Satellite, the latter often sparking colorful debate amongst fans for its comparisons to Tom Petty. He moved to John Prine's Oh Boy Records where he made Happy to Be Here, New Connection, Near Truths and Hotel Rooms, and East Nashville Skyline. That Was Me: The Best of Todd Snider 1994–1998 was released on the Hip-O label in August 2005.
Todd Snider's next studio album, The Devil You Know, was released in August 2006. It marked Snider's return to a major label, as he is now recording for New Door Records, a subsidiary of Universal Records.
The Devil You Know was named to several critics' year-end "best" lists, including a No. 33 ranking in Rolling Stone magazine's top 50 albums of the year, a No. 25 ranking by No Depression magazine, and No. 14 by Blender magazine.
Snider's songs "Late Last Night" and "I Believe You" have been recorded by the Oklahoma country-rock band Cross Canadian Ragweed. He co-wrote the song "Barbie Doll" with country star Jack Ingram.
Snider's new album, Peace Queer, is set to be released on October 14th, 2008, and will be available as a free download from Oct. 11 to Oct. 31 at http://www.toddsnider.net/store/product/1/Peace-Queer .
This Land Is Our Land
Todd Snider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make way for a brand-new nation
Big ideas, we got brand new plans
Heaven knows we need this land
We're gonna build: big, high, and wide
City streets through countrysides
Chemicals and pesticides
This land is our land
Hey redman, don't waste our time
We're young and strong and got hills to climb
There's a lot of room, but we need it all
For slave trade and shopping malls
We're gonna build big factories
For paper plates and plastic trees, styrofoam and antifreeze
This land is our land
This land is our land
This land is our land
This land is our land
This land is our land
We came out on the raging sea
To claim some place that we'd be free
We got hopeful hearst and working hands
Heaven knows, we need this land
'cause the world needs land fills, diet pills, and paper mills
We need country clubs and oil spills
This land is our land
This land is our land
This land is our land
This land is our land
This land is our land
Freeway through a reservation
Make way for a brand-new nation
Big ideas, we got brand new plans
Heaven knows we need this land
For Super Bowls and subway rides, remote controls, and pesticides
Gang-related homicides
This land is our land
This land is our land
This land is our land
This land is our land
This land is our land
The lyrics of Todd Snider's "This Land Is Our Land" are a satirical take on the idea of manifest destiny - the belief that it was America's destiny to expand its territory from coast to coast. The song discusses the destruction of Native American reservations, which were seen as obstacles to the expansion of American industry and economy. The "big, high, and wide" city streets that are being built through countrysides are meant to symbolize the American desire for growth and expansion, and the belief that there is always more land to be conquered.
The song also touches upon the idea of American exceptionalism, with the line "Hey redman, don't waste our time, we're young and strong and got hills to climb." This line suggests that Native Americans are seen as obstacles to American progress and that their concerns and rights are dismissed in the pursuit of manifest destiny.
In the final verse, the song talks about the pollution and destruction that come with American industry and expansion, including landfills, paper mills, and oil spills. The repetition of the line "This land is our land" throughout the song is a nod to the original folk song of the same name, which was written as a protest against private property ownership during the Great Depression.
Overall, "This Land Is Our Land" is a biting commentary on American expansion and the toll it takes on the people and land that are in its way.
Line by Line Meaning
Freeway through a reservation
Building a road through land reserved for Native Americans
Make way for a brand-new nation
We are attempting to create a new society, with the belief that our ideas are better than the existing culture
Big ideas, we got brand new plans
We have grand visions for how to use this land in ways that will benefit some of us
Heaven knows we need this land
We want this land because we believe it is essential to our prosperity and growth
We're gonna build: big, high, and wide
We will construct massive structures that can be seen from afar
City streets through countrysides
We will pave over natural landscapes to create urban areas
Chemicals and pesticides
We will use dangerous substances to enhance our commercial activities
This land is our land
We believe that we have a right to exploit and develop this land as we see fit
Hey redman, don't waste our time
We do not value the opinions or experiences of Native Americans, and we see them as obstacles to our progress
We're young and strong and got hills to climb
We are a powerful, confident group that is unafraid to take on challenges
There's a lot of room, but we need it all
We have endless ambition and believe that we are entitled to as much land as we require to achieve our goals
For slave trade and shopping malls
We will engage in practices that exploit others for our own gain
We're gonna build big factories
We want to create large facilities that generate huge amounts of product and revenue
For paper plates and plastic trees, styrofoam and antifreeze
We will manufacture disposable products that generate waste and harm the environment
This land is our land
We are determined to exert our control over this land and its resources
We came out on the raging sea
Our ancestors arrived on this continent after crossing vast, treacherous waters
To claim some place that we'd be free
We wanted to establish a new society in which we could live without constraints or persecution
We got hopeful hearst and working hands
We brought with us idealistic beliefs as well as the ability to create and produce
Heaven knows, we need this land
We believe that our longevity and prosperity depend on our ability to acquire and control this land
'cause the world needs land fills, diet pills, and paper mills
We see the resources on this land as necessary for our way of life and society at large
We need country clubs and oil spills
Our desires for luxury and convenience may come at the expense of the environment
This land is our land
We will continue to pursue the development and expansion of this land, regardless of the impact on others
For Super Bowls and subway rides, remote controls, and pesticides
We see this land and its resources as necessary for our entertainment and livelihoods, even if it causes harm to others
Gang-related homicides
Our actions may contribute to dangerous and violent conflicts in the communities we develop
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TODD SNIDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@couchonroof
Young Todd almost doesn’t look like a burnout from the smoke pit! Get that man a banana!
@corky246
A folk rocker with a punk rock spirit. This rocks the roof!
@chrisharp4277
This is 2020, and I'm loving this dude !!!
@andymartin6250
Damn Todd!! This song and conservative Christian needs to be played on a world wide loud speaker!!! We need your voice brother 😉
@hannahnuckols5207
Todd Snider is a institution of Americans!
@Lovemusicvixen
2021!!!
@dawncain1712
It's sweet seeing him looking so young. Sadly, so many people grow out of their idealism. Thank Goddess that he didn't
@clementine6179
Todd Snider is a genius, and Will Kimbrough ROCKS
@klimtklavier
TWENTY PLUS YEARS LATER... still matters. Todd's still out there. Thank Gawd !
@Spaceman1968
This was a real tight band!