1887
The Land Song (God Gave the Land to the People)
| Tune: | Marching Through Georgia |
| Lyrics: | Unknown |
Sound the call for freedom boys, and sound it far and wide,
March along to victory for God is on our side,
While the voice of nature thunders o’er the rising tide,
“God gave the land to the people!”
The land, the land, ’twas God who made the land,
The land, the land, the ground on which we stand,
Why should we be beggars with the ballot in our hand?
God made the land for the people.
Hark the sound is spreading from the East and from the West,
Why should we work hard and let the landlords take the best?
Make them pay their taxes on the land just like the rest,
The land was meant for the people.
The land, &c.
Clear the way for liberty, the land must all be free,
Liberals will not falter from the fight, tho’ stern it be,
’Til the flag we love so well will fly from sea to sea
O’er the land that is free for the people.
The land, &c.
The army now is marching on, the battle to begin,
The standard now is raised on high to face the battle din,
We’ll never cease from fighting ’til victory we win,
And the land is free for the people.
The land, &c.
It has been a long march for this song, from its origins in Chicago to its present status as anthem of the Liberal Democrats. In England, its greatest impact was in the Liberal campaigns of the 1900s, inspired by radical US land reformer Henry George. The song pulls off the deft trick of developing a compelling argument for redistribution in accessible, inspirational language, married to an intensely satisfying, catchy chorus to be sung by demonstrators.
| Cause: | Reformist | Protectionist | Socialist |
| Theme: | Political Process |
| Addressed to: | The People | Men |
| Target of Protest: | Bosses | Aristocracy |
| Proposal/Solution: | Ballot | Wealth Redistribution |