This Once Was Your Land

A version for the Age of Trump.

Trump Tower on Fifth Ave in New York City.
Trump Tower on Fifth Ave in New York City.

Trump Tower on Fifth Ave in New York City.

SAN FRANCISCO (RNS) During the seventh inning stretch at AT&T Stadium yesterday, they played “God Bless America,” as has become customary in Major League Baseball since 9/11. I dislike the Irving Berlin song almost as much as Woody Guthrie, who in 1940 became so annoyed by Kate Smith’s recording that he composed “This Land is Your Land” to counter its patriotic sentimentality. But last night I had a dystopian dream where the fans were singing a version of Guthrie’s song that’s way more upsetting. It went like this.

This Once was Your Land


This once was your land, this once was my land
From California to the New York island
Then the election of 2016
Made this the land of DJT.

As he was riding that escalator
He saw above him those golden letters:
He saw below him the people shouting
This land was made for DJT.

He bragged and blustered and followed the money
To the sparkling sands of Atlantic City
And all around him a voice was sounding
This land was made for DJT.

At the twilight hour, when he was boasting
Of the folks he cheated and he insulted
A voice was chanting as the dark was falling
This land was made for DJT.

As I was walking I saw a wall there
And on the wall it said “No Immigrating”
And on the other side it said “No Muslims,”
This land was made by DJT.

This once was your land, this once was my land
From California to the New York island
Then the election of 2016
Made this the land of DJT.

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