A video of folk legend Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen singing Woody Guthrie’s socialist-tinged “The Land is Your Land,” was removed by the Google-owned service after HBO complained about its exclusive rights to the event had been violated.
Oh, the irony. The song contains these often-ignored stanzas, which were not ignored by Bruce and Pete (who, at 89, must have particularly relished singing at the Lincoln Memorial — a la Marion Anderson — after being blacklisted as a commie in the 50s).
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.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?
Now a version of the song shot by a German team has been posted on YouTube, and is available as of this writing. Here it is, watch it while you still can.
The whole idea of HBO getting rights to this part of the Inaugural events, a public event at a public location, in the people’s capital, is a concern, to say the least. Seems the excuse is that the Inaugural team needed the money to pay for all the logistics. I guess that legendary internet fundraising machine was offline.
This land is your land and my land, but only if you subscribe to HBO to watch a free performance.
HBO should be very ashamed. I hope they choke on their profits. This should have been aired by C-SPAN… I searched for it on the TV, and only HBO had any of the performances. Tragic.
This land is your land and my land, but only if you subscribe to HBO to watch a free performance.
HBO should be very ashamed. I hope they choke on their profits. This should have been aired by C-SPAN… I searched for it on the TV, and only HBO had any of the performances. Tragic.
Thanks for the post. I agree. Seems INSANE that HBO has the rights to something that is supposed to be for all the country. GAG.
Thanks for the post. I agree. Seems INSANE that HBO has the rights to something that is supposed to be for all the country. GAG.