this post was submitted on 07 Nov 2023
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[–] triplenadir@lemmygrad.ml 16 points 1 year ago (3 children)

always got weird "manifest destiny" vibes from that song tbh

[–] ProfessorOwl_PhD@hexbear.net 35 points 1 year ago

I can see how, but it was a contemporaneous response to Kate Smith's "God Bless America", refuting the idea of manifest destiny - there's a verse about private property that is rarely included in recordings that makes it a lot more clear.

[–] Smeagolicious@hexbear.net 33 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The original Woody Guthrie version is a bit better, the one with the verses that are usually removed because they’re too critical of that manifest destiny myth. Pete Seeger was known for performing this one too

[–] HexReplyBot@hexbear.net 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[–] SpookyGenderCommunist@hexbear.net 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The original version of the song was critical of private property and colonialism, to be fair.

[–] Frank@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

Yeah, they took the private property line out of the version they taught kids in schools.