Irving Berlin  (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989) was a Russian-born Jewish-American composer and lyricist.  Widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history, his music forms a great part of the Great American Songbook.  He had his first major international hit, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” in 1911.  Over the years he was known for writing music and lyrics in the American vernacular:  uncomplicated, simple and direct, with his stated aim being to “reach the heart of the average American”, whom he saw as the “real soul of the country”.  During his 60-year career he wrote an estimated 1,500 songs, including the scores for 19 Broadway shows and 18 Hollywood films, with his songs nominated eight times for Academy Awards.  (More from Wikipedia)

 

As quoted in Wikipedia:  “[Woody] Guthrie was tired of the radio overplaying Irving Berlin’s ‘God Bless America’.  He thought the lyrics were unrealistic and complacent.  Partly inspired by his experiences during a cross-country trip and his distaste for ‘God Bless America’, he wrote his most famous song, ‘This Land is Your Land’, in February 1940; it was subtitled:  ‘God Blessed America for Me’.”  And the original song isn’t nearly so tame as the best known portion; the fourth and sixth verses (which Woody Guthrie himself sometimes omitted in his performances) are much more strident. 

(March 2015)