The Biden inauguration’s missing verses

Even when America is on its best behavior, as it was today in Washington for Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration (ding dong, the Don is dead), there’s something always left out. Yes, Biden hit many fine notes during his speech (more on that later) before he collapsed near the end in a mishmash of rhetorical cliches. But the celebrity high points came during Lady Gaga’s triumphant version of “The Star Spangled Banner” (wisely she left out Francis Scott Key’s vituperatively racist stanza about hunting down slaves who sided with the British during the War of 1812) and J-Lo’s tacky medley of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land"” and “America the Beautiful.” J-Lo also left out a couple key verses from the classic Guthrie folk song — the same ones that have been excised from the schoolroom version of the song which has become an alternative national anthem. The missing verses from the song. which Guthrie wrote during the Great Depression, seem strongly relevant these grim days. So let’s remember them here:

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me.
The sign was painted, said: 'Private Property.'
But on the backside, it didn't say nothing.
This land was made for you and me.

One bright sunny morning in the shadow of the steeple,
By the relief office I saw my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there wondering if
God blessed America for me?