The concept of the Answer song goes to back to at least the late 1800’s when the Irish ballad “I’ll Take You Home, Kathleen” was written in response to “Barney, Take Me Home Again.” But in poetry, the practice goes back to the late 1500’s when Sir Walter Raleigh, whom I’m told was such a stupid git, was answered by Christopher Marlowe. In Country Music, the Answer song is a rich practice. Patsy Montana had the first million selling record for a female artist with “I Want to Be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart” which answered Stuart Hamblen’s “Texas Plains.” Some artists have answered themselves. Like The Dominoes in the 1950’s, who had a song “Can’t Do Sixty No More” which answered their own “Sixty Minute Man.” Hank Ballard and the Midnighters responded to their own “Work With Me, Annie” with “Annie Had a Baby,” and then answered the answer with “Henry’s Got Flat Feet.” Hank’s original touched off a response frenzy with answers by The El Dorados, Etta James, and Danny Taylor. Bob Dylan answered The Beatles on two occasions. The “no no no” from “It Ain’t Me Babe” responds to the “yeah yeah yeah” from “She Loves You.” He also answered “Norwegian Wood” with “Fourth Time Around” from Blonde On Blonde. Liz Phair took it to the extreme when she released Exile in Guyville, her song-for-song full album response to Exile On Main St. The Answer song continues to this day, often in Rap and Hip Hop, but in the pop world as well. Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” paraphrases (lyrically and musically) Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man.” For a selection of Answer songs, see below for Today’s Playlist.

Many of these Answer songs have come to be known as novelties, and rightly so. In fairness, some excellent songs have been novelties. But in general, the Answer song isn’t the greatest thing. But there is one Answer song that towers over all others, and it is an American standard responding to another American standard.

Kate Smith had huge recording success from the late 20’s to the late 40’s with a string of hit recordings throughout. But despite this success, she is known especially for one particular song, recorded 85 years ago on this day in 1939: Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America.” Berlin wrote the song 20 years earlier in 1918 as a rallying cry for American military might. But in the lead up to World War II, he revised the lyrics, intending it to be a song of peace. Among the changes were the original line “Stand beside her and guide her to the right with the light from above,” becoming “Stand beside her and guide her through the night with the light from above.” Berlin wanted to avoid an unintended political alignment. Smith’s version would hit the the charts on three separate instances, in ’39, ’40 and ’42, and remains a standard, especially in the 7th inning, when it replaced “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” following the attack on September 11, 2001.

But by early 1940, one particular songwriter and performer had just about had enough of the song.

Woody Guthrie hated “God Bless America” from the first time he heard it. His original Answer song was titled “God Blessed America For Me,” adapting the melody from the Baptist hymn “Oh, My Loving Brother” that the Carter Family used for their song that Guthrie knew, “Little Darlin’, Pal Of Mine.” Woody’s original lyrics didn’t include the most famous line that his final version would, though he’d written it across the top of the first manuscript. The song sat unrecorded for five years, eventually being revised in 1944 during World War II. When Woody finally recorded the legendary “This Land Is Your Land,” two verses critical of America from the original had been replaced, though a 1944 recording features one of them that addresses private property:

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me;
Sign was painted, it said private property;
But on the back side it didn’t say nothing;
This land was made for you and me

The other verse addressed income inequality and the misery of millions of Americans during the Depression:

Well, one bright Sunday morning in the shadow of the steeple
By the relief line I saw my people
As they stood there whistlin’ they stood there hungry
Don’t they know that this land was made for you and me?

The song faded from society following the war, but by the early 1960’s the Folk Music world embraced it. Dylan performed it, Peter, Paul & Mary recorded it, Jay & the Americans, The Seekers and The Kingston Trio all featured it. In 1980, Bruce Springsteen began performing it while touring behind The River. Versions from other countries have been recorded with updated lyrics. Canada, Sweden, Britain (by Billy Bragg), Australia, Guyana, Belgium and Turkey have all had versions by homegrown artists. The song has been covered extensively by a wide range of American artists, from Glen Campbell, Sharon Jones, Bing Crosby and Tennessee Ernie Ford just to name a very few. It all happened with an Answer song.

Today’s Playlist is a SomethingIsHappening compendium of Answer songs, in tribute to “This Land Is Your Land”:

By the way, even though “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” was replaced, you can hear one very special version any time you like:

#WoodyGuthrie #GodBlessAmerica #IrvingBerlin #KateSmith #TheBeatles #BobDylan #ThisLandIsYourLand