This Land (song)

"This Land" is a song by American blues rock artist Gary Clark Jr., from his fourth studio album of the same name. The song was released on January 10, 2019, as the album's lead single, through Warner Bros. Records. An official music video was released the same day. "This Land" received positive reviews from music critics, and won both Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

"This Land"
Single by Gary Clark Jr.
from the album This Land
ReleasedJanuary 10, 2019 (2019-01-10)
GenreBlues rock
Length5:42
LabelWarner Bros.
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Gary Clark Jr.
  • Jacob Sciba
Gary Clark Jr. singles chronology
"Come Together"
(2017)		 "This Land"
(2019)		 "What About Us"
(2019)

Background and production

Clark Jr. recorded the track, as well as most of the This Land album, with a Gibson SG electric guitar plugged into a César Díaz amplifier and a Marshall speaker cabinet.[1]

Composition and lyrics

"This Land" is a blues rock song,[2] rooted in a reggae-style vamp with blues guitar licks.[3]

"This Land" was inspired by an incident in which Clark's neighbor repeatedly asked who lived on the singer's 50 acres (20 ha) property in Austin, Texas, and would not believe that Clark, a Black man, owned the home.[4]

The lyrics make several references to other songs and aspects of American culture. One of the opening lines, "Fifty acres and Model A", reflect the promise of forty acres and a mule to be given to families of freed American slaves, while the title of the song is a direct reference to the famous Woody Guthrie folk song "This Land Is Your Land".[5] Clark Jr., who previously chose to stay away from making overtly political music, used the works of Guthrie, Big Bill Broonzy, and Lead Belly as inspiration for "This Land".[6]

Critical reception

Music critics who reviewed This Land tended to emphasize the differences between the title track and the rest of the album. Writing for Pitchfork, Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the way that Clark Jr. was able to "[channel] his anger over this casual racism into a dose of fury so controlled, its origin becomes obscured", but mentioned that the track "isn't necessarily a harbinger for the rest of" the album.[7]

Music video

An official music video for "This Land" was released the same day as the song. Directed by Savanah Leaf, the video was filmed on Clark Jr.'s Texas property and depicts a young boy surrounded by symbols of American racism, such as the Confederate battle flag.[8]

Accolades

"This Land" was nominated for three awards at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in 2019: Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song, and Best Music Video. It won the former two, and lost the latter to "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus.[9]

Awards and nominations for "This Land"
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2020 62nd Annual Grammy Awards Best Rock Performance Won [9]
Best Rock Song Won
Best Music Video Nominated

Live performances

Clark Jr. first performed "This Land" live on January 10, 2019, with a performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He also debuted "Feed the Babies", another song from This Land, accompanied by Jon Batiste and the Stay Human house band.[10] On February 16, 2019, Clark Jr. performed "This Land" and "Pearl Cadillac" when he starred as the weekly musical guest on Saturday Night Live.[11] He next performed the song live at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, with The Roots serving as his backing band. Clark Jr. performed against a backdrop of an Antebellum-era mansion, with flames growing higher in the background.[12]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[13]

Charts
Weekly chart performance for "This Land"
Chart (2019) Peak
position
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[14] 34
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)[15] 42

References
  1. Bosso, Joe (May 22, 2019). "Gary Clark Jr. Gets Real: The Powerful STory Behind His New Album, 'This Land'". Guitar World. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  2. Pearson, Ryan (March 22, 2019). "Gary Clark Jr. is confronting racism with 'This Land'". AP News. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  3. Pareles, Jon (February 20, 2019). "Gary Clark Jr. Finds a 21st-Century Blues Spirit on 'This Land'". The New York Times. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  4. Martin, Michael (February 23, 2019). "Racism In American South Inspired Gary Clark Jr.'s 'This Land'". All Things Considered. National Public Radio. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  5. Crook, Oliver (January 23, 2019). "Today's Song: Gary Clark Jr. Raises His Fist and His Voice on 'This Land'". Atwood Magazine. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  6. Appleford, Steve (September 25, 2019). "Yes, Gary Clark Jr. is a throwback guitar god. But he's no 'museum piece'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
  7. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (March 2, 2019). "Gary Clark Jr.: This Land Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  8. Doyle, Patrick (January 10, 2019). "Gary Clark Jr.'s New Song Is a Scathing Account of Trump-Era Racism". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  9. "2019 Grammy Winners". Grammy Awards. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  10. Reed, Ryan (January 11, 2019). "Watch Gary Clark Jr. Play New Songs 'This Land,' 'Feed the Babies' on 'Colbert'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  11. Arcand, Rob (February 17, 2019). "Watch Gary Clark Jr. Perform 'Pearl Cadillac' and 'This Land' on SNL". Spin. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  12. Gracie, Bianca (January 28, 2020). "Watch Gary Clark Jr. Rip Through 'This Land' at 2020 Grammys". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  13. "This Land / Gary Clark Jr. – TIDAL". Tidal. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  14. "Gary Clark Jr. Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
  15. "Gary Clark Jr. Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 7, 2021.
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