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Pastures Of Plenty Lyrics
It's a mighty hard row that my poor hands have hoed
My poor feet have traveled a hot dusty road
Out of your Dust Bowl and Westward we rolled
And your deserts were hot and your mountains were cold
I worked in your orchards of peaches and prunes
I slept on the ground in the light of the moon
On the edge of the city you'll see us and then
We come with the dust and we go with the wind
California, Arizona, I harvest your crops
Well its North up to Oregon to gather your hops
Dig the beets from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine
To set on your table your light sparkling wine
Green pastures of plenty from dry desert ground
From the Grand Coulee Dam where the waters run down
Every state in the Union us migrants have been
We'll work in this fight and we'll fight till we win
It's always we rambled, that river and I
All along your green valley, I will work till I die
My land I'll defend with my life if it be
Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free
My poor feet have traveled a hot dusty road
Out of your Dust Bowl and Westward we rolled
And your deserts were hot and your mountains were cold
I slept on the ground in the light of the moon
On the edge of the city you'll see us and then
We come with the dust and we go with the wind
Well its North up to Oregon to gather your hops
Dig the beets from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine
To set on your table your light sparkling wine
From the Grand Coulee Dam where the waters run down
Every state in the Union us migrants have been
We'll work in this fight and we'll fight till we win
All along your green valley, I will work till I die
My land I'll defend with my life if it be
Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free
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The lyrics refer to the crops grown as "your" - "it's North up to Oregon to gather your hops. Dig the beets from your ground, cut the grapes from your vine To set on your table your light sparkling wine."
But, the ownership of the land is the singer's. "My land I'll defend with my life if it be Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free."
This concept always made Woody seem dangerous to the man. "This land was made for you and me "
I can't believe nobody's commented. This song seems to be about the life of a migrant worker during the depression. it seems to sort of get at the essence of existence you know? I mean, think about a world without the migrant workers? There would be no food, and yet the migrant workers were and still are kind of the lowest of the low in terms of status, as well as wages and benefits. The reason why I like this song so much is that it is such a simple song. it is like the most minimalistic song there can be, and yet it's so incredibly good. It is only as complicated as it needs to be to be an enjoyable song.