God Bless The Grass

God bless the grass that grows thru the crack.
They roll the concrete over it to try and keep it back.
The concrete gets tired of what it has to do,
It breaks and it buckles and the grass grows thru,
And God bless the grass.

God bless the truth that fights toward the sun,
They roll the lies over it and think that it is done.
It moves through the ground and reaches for the air,
And after a while it is growing everywhere,
And God bless the grass.

God bless the grass that grows through cement.
It’s green and it’s tender and it’s easily bent.
But after a while it lifts up its head,
For the grass is living and the stone is dead,
And God bless the grass.

God bless the grass that’s gentle and low,
Its roots they are deep and its will is to grow.
And God bless the truth, the friend of the poor,
And the wild grass growing at the poor man’s door,
And God bless the grass.

Words and music (hear the song) by Malvina Reynolds (1900-1998).

Pete Seeger describes his first visit with Malvina Reynolds:

It was in 1947, at a hootenanny in Los Angeles, a middle-aged woman asked if she could speak to me. “What is it?” says I. “Well, I need more time than we have here.” Next day she came to where I and my small family were staying, and said “I’d like to try doing what you do–sing for unions, for people trying to do something good in their corner of the world.” I said, well you don’t get rich but you meet all sorts of wonderful people. I probably told her to get on the phone when she read the papers about something interesting going on, and tell ‘em she had a song which would hit the spot for their meeting. She was 46 or 47, had a shock of beautiful white hair. I was 28; I remember thinking “Gee, she’s kinda old to get started.” I had a lot to learn. Pretty soon she was turning out song after song after song! (from a letter to C. H. S. dated 13 February 2006)

E. Y. (Yip) Harburg, lyricist of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” had it right when he explained the emotional force a song and lyrics must possess to penetrate a listener’s heart:

Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought.

Malvina’s songs certainly meet this criteria. This beautiful song of hope, once heard, will never be forgotten. Remember its message on those bleak days as a ray of sunshine from an enlightened soul.

Image ~ above right ~ Verdant Meadow, Santa Cruz Mountains.

If you enjoyed this song, listen to Thank You Mother by Santa Cruz Woody.

Tagged as: E.Y. Harburg, grass, hope, lyrics, Malvina Reynolds, Pete Seeger, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Cruz Woody, songwriting, Yip Harburg