Steven Keene: “This World Is Your World” (2024) CD Single Review

Many years ago, a folksinger friend of mine opined that Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” should be our national anthem. I quickly came to agree with that idea. It’s a much better song than “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and it aims to unite folks in a way that the other song doesn’t. It’s also a protest song, though the first versions I heard were missing certain verses, and so felt more like a straight celebration of the country. Even without those verses, it’s a great song.

Steven Keene now takes the song, and creates his own verses for it, expanding it from this country to this world, and thus changing the title to “This World To Your World.” We are living in a strange and dangerous time, when certain countries are again at war, and these wars are in constant threat of expanding. And here in our own country, democracy is threatened by one of its two major political parties, something that seemed inconceivable only a decade ago. It’s not about policy differences. The country is divided in a way that seems nearly impossible to fix, since the two sides hate each other, and seem to be living in two separate realities. How can we unite again? And how can the world come together? How do we remind everyone that our similarities far outweigh our differences? When politics fail, as they nearly always do, music comes through.

In this new version of the song, Steven Keene sings, “This world is your world/This world is our world/From the highest mountain/To the deepest valley/From her rich green forests/To her clear blue waters/This world was made for you and me.” Steven Keene plays acoustic guitar and harmonica on this track. Joining him are Joseph Chiarolanza on bass, Joseph Napolitano on pedal steel, Matt O’Ree on guitar, Arne Wendt on keyboards, Chris Russo on drums, and Lisa Testa on backing vocals. One of the verses of Woody Guthrie’s song that is often dropped is the one about the “No Trespassing” sign. Steven Keene in his version sings, “I spied a high wall/Said ‘Don’t pass over’/So I climbed over/Freedom has no border/And on the other side/It was just like my side/Both sides were made for you and me.” I love that, particularly when many people in this nation want to build a big wall to keep people out. It also reminds me of that scene from Harold And Maude, where Maude says, “What sense in borders and nations and patriotism?” I love the spirit of this rendition, and Steven Keene’s vocal performance is excellent. I hope songs like this can help restore what’s best in humanity.

This World Is Your World was released on April 19, 2024.