Lopez made his name on the club circuit of the Southwestern United States before being 'discovered' in 1962 playing at the club PJ's in Hollywood, California, by record producer Don Costa. Costa was taken with Lopez's latinized versions of contemporary hits and signed him up to Frank Sinatra's record label, Reprise Records. His debut album, Trini Lopez Live at PJ's, was released in 1963. The album included a version of If I Had a Hammer, which reached number one in 36 countries (No. 3 in the United States) and was a radio favorite for many years. He also performed his own version of the traditional Mexican song La Bamba on the album; his recording of the tune was later re-issued as a single in 1966.
His popularity led the Gibson Guitar Corporation to ask him in 1964 to design a guitar for them. He ended up designing two: The Trini Lopez Standard, a rock and roll model based on the Gibson ES-335 semi-hollow body, and the Lopez Deluxe, a variation of a Gibson jazz guitar designed by Barney Kessel. Both of these guitars were in production from 1964 until 1971 and are now highly sought after amongst collectors. Some owners of the guitar include Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Noel Gallagher of Oasis.
He scored 13 chart singles through 1968, including "Lemon Tree" (1965), "I'm Comin' Home, Cindy" (1966) and "Sally Was a Good Old Girl" (1968). On the adult contemporary chart, he ranked up 15 hits, including the Top 10 singles "Michael" (1964), "Gonna Get Along Without Ya' Now" (1967) and "The Bramble Bush" (1967). Beyond his success on record, he became one of the country's top nightclub performers of that era, regularly headlining in Las Vegas, Nevada.
During the 1960s and 1970s Lopez moved into acting, though his film career was not as successful as his music. His first film role was in Marriage on the Rocks (1965), in which he made a cameo appearance in a nightclub scene; Lopez's soundtrack song, "Sinner Man", became a hit single (No. 54 pop/No. 12 adult contemporary). He was one of The Dirty Dozen (1967) and starred in Antonio (1973). He made two appearances (playing different characters) on the television program, Adam 12. He continued his musical career with extensive tours of Europe and Latin America during this period; an attempt to break out by releasing a disco album in 1978 proved a flop.
Since then, Lopez has done charitable work and received honors such as being inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2003. He was still recording and appearing live in the early 2000s. Recently he took part in a benefit concert to raise money for the victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami.
This Land Is Your Land
Trini Lopez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 was walkin'
I saw above me that endless sky way.
I saw below me that golden valley.
This land was made for you and me.
(Chorus)
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.
I roamed and rambled and I followed my
footsteps to the sparklin' sands of her diamond
desert
And all around me a voice was sounding
This landwas made for you and me.
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 calling,
This land was made for you and me.
Trini Lopez's song "This Land Is Your Land" is a classic folk song that has become an integral part of American history. The song was originally written by Woody Guthrie in 1940 as a response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America." Guthrie's song was meant to express the frustration and optimism of the working-class Americans who felt that their country was not living up to its promises.
The lyrics of the song celebrate the diversity and beauty of the American landscape, from the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream Waters. The song is a call to unity and a reminder that everyone who lives in America is part of a shared heritage. The line "This land was made for you and me" suggests that everyone who lives in America has a right to the land and its resources.
The chorus of the song, "This land is your land, this land is my land," emphasizes the idea that everyone who lives in America is equal and deserves to share in its resources. The verses of the song describe Guthrie's travels across the country, from California to the New York Island, and the beauty he saw along the way.
Overall, "This Land Is Your Land" is a song that celebrates the diversity and beauty of America, while also acknowledging the struggles and inequalities that exist in the country. It has become an anthem for those who want to fight for a more just and equitable society.
Line by Line Meaning
This land is your land.
Everybody has equal ownership of this land.
This land is my land
Everyone has equal claim to this land, including me.
From California
This includes the entirety of California.
To the New York island
This stretches all the way to the island of New York.
From the red wood forest
This includes the region of red wood forest on this land.
To the Gulf stream waters.
This covers the waters of the Gulf Stream that pass through American shores.
This land was made for you and me.
This land was created with the intention that everyone can enjoy it.
I saw above me that endless skyway.
I saw the limitless potential that exists in the sky above me.
I saw below me that golden valley.
I saw the beautiful valley that was golden in appearance and full of potential.
I roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps to the sparklin' sands of her diamond desert
I wandered and traveled through the land to find its natural features, such as the sparkling sandy diamond deserts.
And all around me a voice was sounding
I heard a voice around me that sounded like it was calling out to me.
The sun came shining and I was strolling and the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
As the sun came up, I walked through the waving wheat fields as the dust clouds rolled by.
As the fog was lifting a voice was calling,
As the fog cleared, I heard a voice calling to me again.
This land was made for you and me.
This land is meant for everyone to enjoy and use equally.
Contributed by Nolan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mery Toste
A sad day for music, the Unforgettable Brilliant Singer, Actor and Composer, died today at the age of 83years old TRINI LOPEZ. . R. I. P My Eternal Idol.
Fokko De Vries
Top artist, te vroeg gegaan, in de hemel kunnen we weer van zijn gezang genieten. I hope so.
Benderias
Prachtig
Adolfo Martinez
Muchas gracias por la música : TRINY LÓPEZ especialmente por ésta canción.
Jane
He is so awesome. I've loved him for a long time
JOHNUDT
He always make us happy. RIP Lopez.
Rubber Soul
My mother used to play this record for me (which i later found out to be a Woody Guthrie composition), it was my first encounter with music. Thanks mom and thank you Trini Lopez R.I.P.
Dave Phillips
Love you trini live at PJs is one of the best albums of all time rip
PaulLonden
This man was almost as populair as The Beatles in 1963.
Cool Daddy
@PaulLonden No, he was more popular than the Beatles for the whole year. Yes, he was done by the end of 64 but do not underrate how big he was before that.