I've been listening and reading through the links on this Metafilter post about old union songs and it's pretty amazing to see the open embrace of words that have been made toxic in today's political discourse. Even with strong support for unions and government programs like Social Security and Medicare, it's hard to imagine Americans who aren't Bernie Sanders using the word "socialist" this freely -although "solidarity" is apprently still ok.
Speaking for the skin and the bone
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Fri Feb 25, 2011 7:16 PM EST
— Filed under: open-mic
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I found this site very good for union songs as well. http://unionsong.com/
There is also a recent pro-union song by the Flobots. Actually, it's about a lot of things...the intersection of consumerism, globalization, working conditions and war. Part of the lyrics were inspired by the NYTimes headline "Who Killed Jdimytai Damour?" about the Wal-Mart employee who was trampled to death on Black Friday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtimqPbL6_U
That's a music video concept that's got some potential! A better song and video montage mix... and you could see it go viral. Great find & post, Will!!
I keep hoping someone will start singing either the Union Maid or the Internationale during the protests. Proud to be a rabble-rousing folk musician!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BIvqbyku5g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs5_gB582IM
Please Rachel, cover this story. No one else is. I would love to hear this Colonel from Purdue speak about this new pathogen!
http://farmandranchfreedom.org/gmo-miscarriages
Funny how rich conservatives have always thought that folks that want a decent living must be socialists or communists. And that goes WAY back in our history.
Go Labor !!
Pretty sure that's Pete Seeger singing lead on that. Wonder what he thinks about all this. We need someone like him to go out organizing and singing again.
Pathseeker, my partner just walked into the room and said the same thing.
Got a kick out of Rage Against The Machine singing Dylan's "Maggie's Farm.
(From that link - union songs).
Chris...lol....that's a good one.
Where is Joan Baez when you need her?
Last I heard she fell out of her tree house and is recovering. That was a couple months ago though.
Hi GrrrlRomeo! You are joking, right?
Nope, not joking.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/joan-baez-injured-in-fall-from-treehouse-20101119
What? I have a friend that plays in her ....band sorta....huh? Fell out of a tree house???
Wow! Thanks for posting the link. Sounded so odd I wasn't sure. Have a nice night!
Maggie-I really was thinking the same thing-re: Baez-and that there really IS no "Baez" now.
Ani Difranco, the Indigo Girls...there is a plethora of female political folk artists these days.
Joan used to GO to the places of protest and sing...who will sing in WI?
Yep, she did-Maggie-got me thinking of the influence the celebrities had in the sixties-a "subculture" arose. The idols of the youth in that era influenced them-the youth of that era became aware of the inequities of those times-and followed their idols to join in protests-to bring about change.
And, it brought about change-Viet Nam, Women's Rights, Worker's Rights....
There is no one now-no one willing to put their fame on the line-it seems.
Don't have kids, but how many in high school and college are aware of what is going on-or care?
The times ... they did change. We need someone to step up.
I just saw a short video that was posted on the Peter, Paul and Mary Coffeehouse of Peter Yarrow singing at a rally today in Madison, Wisconsin.
He is still performing at rallies.
Bboiling-just saw that-bless his heart, huh?
Shows he was always sincere-a dedicated person who never stopped standing up for what is right.
Sigh... Just go, go, go.
The issues have changed, and the style has changed...but there is no shortage of newer socially conscious music.
I grew up listening to Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez and Pete Seeger because I would go through my aunts and uncles album collections. And then when I was old enough to find my own music, I continued leaning towards socially conscious political music of my generation. I never had difficulty finding it. But you cannot see what you don't look for.
The kids are listening to hip-hop these days, and that genre has some of the most politically charged songs. How did my generation learn about inequalities? Uh, ever heard of "The Message"?
Lady Gaga has gone to gay rights rallies. The Indigo Girls to Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH coalition. Ani Difranco and Mos Def to Gulf AID. You're just not paying attention to whatever it is the younger generations are doing.
Chris...there are high school students at the WI protest.
Rachel Maddow is herself post 60s and a huge chunk of her viewers are in their 30s and 20s. If this is the "rag on the younger generation" meeting, you picked an ironic forum to do it.
I'm post sixties-discovered Baez, Dylan maybe less than 10 years ago-bought dvd documentaries, books on that era-became fascinated.this rally yesterday was huge-100,000-no celebs except the aging Peter Yarrow.
Good point about the stars of today-Gaga was the only one I could think of that is an activist-maybe it's the lame stream media 's lack of coverage?
BTW< I know how old RM and do not come here to be lectured to by you -just for intelligent discussion-so keep your snark to yourself.
Well, I don't post just for you, Chris. I'm going to be myself. This is it.
The 60s had bubblegum pop and a mainstream media that didn't really cover the political musicians of the day just the same. After all, that's what "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" by Peter, Paul and Mary is about. Documentaries of the 60s just condense everything that stands the test of time and tosses out the disposable pop.
This generation just isn't that involved with unions because they haven't grown up with labor rights as a central issue. (But I suppose you can just toss out the song by the Flobots I posted above if it doesn't fit the narrative.)
Each generation has it's own issues. Of course they're not going to be singing about Vietnam, because they're singing about 9/11, Iraq and Hurricane Katrina.
And Women's Rights? Fifty Years of Ridicule follows every 10 year surge in feminism. So it goes.... I suppose we're approaching another surge if the last one was in the 70s.
Are you involved with politics? I am-locally.
We do voter drives for HS students every year.-They all sign up-many dems-more than repub (but U's seem to be winning out).
When there is an election, we target those young D's and U's to vote-and send absentee's to them ( for those that went away to school).
New voters-and I would say, umm more than 50% do not vote.
far cry from the SDS of old.
Yay for the Le Tigre link, Grrrl - and Kathleen Hanna (lead singer on that song, for those that don't know) was at the NYC rally for Planned Parenthood.
I think we don't hear a lot about some of the younger artists b/c they're not covered by the mainstream - you know, because justin bieber and taylor swift are hogging the spotlight. It doesn't mean there aren't folks out there getting their hands dirty and singing/writing about it; it just means you have to dig a little to harder to find them.
Alix Olson is another - she's written stuff on all sorts of women's rights and queer issues and also tackled the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and how oil plays a huge role in them. here are a few of my faves:
Women before me; Pirates; America's on Sale.
My apologies for off-topic comment. Can anyone help me figure out why MSNBC"s video clips are downloading so slowly? It's driving me crazy trying to watch Maddow's clips, for example. Thanks.
Let me say right off the top that I am a total computer moron, the 'anti-tech' if you will, but my middle-grade DSL hookup came to a screeching halt until one day I was offered an Adobe flash upgrade and everything started running again. So, maybe, but you really need to hear from someone who knows what the hell they're talking about, and that is definitely not me. Good luck.
Try clearing your cache, that works for me when my browser starts performing poorly for Maddow.
I'm surprised Peter Yarrow hasn't been there yet. The first union songs I heard were a medley that Peter, Paul and Mary did. She's gone, but Noel and Peter are still around.
These songs should be played in Madison Wi untill the RWNJ's get the picture.!!
But then they probably will never GET IT!!@!!!
Keeping up the tradition, in Wisconsin last week Tom Morello and friends channeled Woody Gutherie singing the lost verses to This Land Is Your land. cool stuff. It's on youtube.
As a long-time lover of folk music, I can tell you that, if you want a short song appropriate for union members and backers and friends of union members to sing when they're confronted/surrounded/harassed by nasty, arrogant plug-ugly Republicans like the gov. of Wisconsin, Google "Sam Hall." He is a union legend, a tough ol' bird who's about to hang for murder. He sings the song from the scaffold to all of the good ol' American savages gathered around it, avid to see a good ol' American hangin'. All you need is the refrain, which goes like this:
Oh my name it is Sam Hall, it is Sam Hall,
And I hate you one and all, yes,I hate you one and all,
Goddamn your eyes!
The name "Sam Hall" ties it to unions, and you can bawl it at the top of your lungs. It's a real, quintessential folk song, made for that kind of singing. I sing it myself, every time the face of that blackguard Scott appears on my TV screen.
Singing it is not any worse than thinking about sending a bunch of thugs into a crowd to stir up violence.
Apparently the government must protect its citizens against crime (public police) and must provide free culture (public libraries). But it doesn't have to look after the citizens' health. However I'd say health is more fundamental than culture and crime. I'd prefer to be a robbed, poor healthy man than a millionaire with cancer.
Of course this strange set of priorities has nothing at all to do with the existence of multimillionaire health companies. How dare I suggest that possibility. No, the real reason for the pitiful situation of healthcare in America is that socialism is bad.
Socialism is bad because it's bad for multimillionaire businessmen and good for everyone else, and multimillionaire businessmen run the country by buying elections with unlimited money.
The same applies to unions, which of course are bad for business and good for people, and soon you guys will be discussing whether the minimum wage is something rather socialist, too. Hey, it has already happened with unemployment benefits and the right to strike.
Sittin' by the roadside on unemployment days,
Chattin' with my poormates, passing time away,
Lying in the shadow, underneath the trees,
Goodness, how disgraceful, ducking GOPer peas!
(Chorus)
Pees! Pees! Pees! Pees!
Ducking GOPer Pees!
Goodness, how disgraceful,
Ducking GOPer Pees!
When a horse does it duty, the workers have a rule
Stand at ample distance far away from it.
Of Trickle Down beware; it’s just a promise there
Be using your goulashes, ducking GOPer Pees!
(Chorus)
Just before the battle, the Campaigner hears a row,
"The Baggers are coming, I hear their rifles now"!
He turns around in wonder, and what do you think he sees?
The Georgia Militia -- ducking GOPer Pees!
(Chorus)
I think my song had lasted almost long enough,
The subject's interesting, but rhymes are mighty rough!
I wish depression over, and free from tax and teas,
We'd kiss our wives and sweethearts and gobble GOPer pees!
(Chorus)
That’s not Tea it’s a horse with a kidney problem.