Hi! This is going to be an exciting tour back in time - and the present - to see how people have dealt with a variety of issues. Stay tuned and sing along!
I subscribed thanks to a recommendation from @Mmerikani. I thank you both, Louise and Mmerikani.
In a recent post I wrote, I included a curated playlist of songs about Labor and Working Life. I tried to make it diverse and not disproportionately represented by classic folk songs or the most well-known labor song singers (Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, etc.) — though, like you, Louise, I grew up listening to a lot of that music.
Despite knowing many of the songs, creating the playlist was still so enriching for me. It raised my empathy for the US labor movement, taught me about people and events I'd heard mentioned in songs but never really looked into, and also sparked my awareness of possible music/history trends.
Foremost among these trends is that, as far as I can tell, after folk music the genre most vocal about labor and — for lack of a better word — the working class, was punk music of the 1980s and early 1990s. This may be obvious to a lot of people, and is by no means counterintuitive, but still interesting to take stock of.
To make a long story.... just a little longer... the experience got me to thinking how I'd love to write a book or start a substack (but have no intention of doing either) about social issues in song. So I'm relieved and delighted to see you doing it, @Louise. And I'm super-excited to read your work and learn more.
I am so glad to see another writer concerned with both social issues and music!
The old 60s songs were great (because that's when I grew up, of course ;-), but "protest songs" didn't end there. There is so much more out there! For example, the punk music you mentioned... I have yet to delve into that. Punk wasn't one of my favorite genres, so I didn't pay much attention to it. Now, though, it's on my list. If I see good lyrics, I will listen, and there are some REALLY good punk songs out there (that appeal to my lyrical tastes, that is). If you let me know of some titles, I might add them, do some research and, eventually, write articles about them.
You might already know of this, but there's a very interesting book about music and the southern textile workers of the early 30s, "The Voice of Southern Labor: Radio, Music, and Textile Strikes, 1929-1934". It talks about how some factories had musicians who wrote songs about the working conditions. Radio was just starting to become popular, and radio stations needed people to go on the air and talk or perform. They invited these musicians on, they played their songs, and people in factories in other places heard the music and thought, "Hey, that's just what's happening here!"
The Dropkick Murphys (Celtic punk) did a lot of labor songs. "Worker's Song" is one. (They also did a version of "Which Side Are You On?"). Alt rockers Uncle Tupelo recently came to my attention — you may like their song "Coalminers" (which actually is straight-up folk style). The Clash's "Career Opportunities" is not a union song, but a British working class anthem. Billy Bragg has always performed a lot of labor music, including his "There Is Power in a Union" (check out the Street Dogs version for something even more punked up).
There's a lot more. The punk movement was really a working class movement, albeit anarchistic.
For something a little different, I recently fell across a couple of songs that integrated rap: You may like the version of Solidarity Forever from the Labour of Love album by Mohammad Ali. I haven't listened to the full album yet, but I believe the whole thing is about labor and organizing (hence the title).
Also, Gangstagrass does a great version of John Henry, incorporating rap into bluegrass.
Thanks for the tip about the Voice of Southern Labor book. If you're saying the workers heard these songs *in* factories, I'm a bit shocked I didn't come across that when I wrote an article about music *at* work several months ago. I'll definitely check out the book.
You may also be interested in the article "Field Hollers, Cries, Work Songs, and Shouts
The textile workers heard the songs on the radio, not in the factories, by the way.
I will definitely have a look at the songs you suggested and at your playlist. There are certain things that I look for when including a song. First, are there lyrics with specific references to people or events in history? Second, can it be handled within about 800 words? I’m hoping to find songs that fit the bill among the sources you have listed!
I'm so excited to learn about how history and music connect!
Hi! This is going to be an exciting tour back in time - and the present - to see how people have dealt with a variety of issues. Stay tuned and sing along!
Gorgeous, headless, Joan, it's been so long since I listened to her.
I’m so excited to be able to enjoy your class and music again ;) Looking forward to your next updates!
I'm so excited you're here, Hitomi! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the songs we'll be looking at. :-)
I subscribed thanks to a recommendation from @Mmerikani. I thank you both, Louise and Mmerikani.
In a recent post I wrote, I included a curated playlist of songs about Labor and Working Life. I tried to make it diverse and not disproportionately represented by classic folk songs or the most well-known labor song singers (Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, etc.) — though, like you, Louise, I grew up listening to a lot of that music.
Despite knowing many of the songs, creating the playlist was still so enriching for me. It raised my empathy for the US labor movement, taught me about people and events I'd heard mentioned in songs but never really looked into, and also sparked my awareness of possible music/history trends.
Foremost among these trends is that, as far as I can tell, after folk music the genre most vocal about labor and — for lack of a better word — the working class, was punk music of the 1980s and early 1990s. This may be obvious to a lot of people, and is by no means counterintuitive, but still interesting to take stock of.
To make a long story.... just a little longer... the experience got me to thinking how I'd love to write a book or start a substack (but have no intention of doing either) about social issues in song. So I'm relieved and delighted to see you doing it, @Louise. And I'm super-excited to read your work and learn more.
Thank you @BOBMERBERG for the kind comments.
I am so glad to see another writer concerned with both social issues and music!
The old 60s songs were great (because that's when I grew up, of course ;-), but "protest songs" didn't end there. There is so much more out there! For example, the punk music you mentioned... I have yet to delve into that. Punk wasn't one of my favorite genres, so I didn't pay much attention to it. Now, though, it's on my list. If I see good lyrics, I will listen, and there are some REALLY good punk songs out there (that appeal to my lyrical tastes, that is). If you let me know of some titles, I might add them, do some research and, eventually, write articles about them.
You might already know of this, but there's a very interesting book about music and the southern textile workers of the early 30s, "The Voice of Southern Labor: Radio, Music, and Textile Strikes, 1929-1934". It talks about how some factories had musicians who wrote songs about the working conditions. Radio was just starting to become popular, and radio stations needed people to go on the air and talk or perform. They invited these musicians on, they played their songs, and people in factories in other places heard the music and thought, "Hey, that's just what's happening here!"
Solidarity.
Oops... forgot the reference:
Roscigno, V. J., & Danaher, W. F. (2004). The Voice of Southern Labor: Radio, music, and textile strikes, 1929-1934. University of Minnesota Press.
The Dropkick Murphys (Celtic punk) did a lot of labor songs. "Worker's Song" is one. (They also did a version of "Which Side Are You On?"). Alt rockers Uncle Tupelo recently came to my attention — you may like their song "Coalminers" (which actually is straight-up folk style). The Clash's "Career Opportunities" is not a union song, but a British working class anthem. Billy Bragg has always performed a lot of labor music, including his "There Is Power in a Union" (check out the Street Dogs version for something even more punked up).
There's a lot more. The punk movement was really a working class movement, albeit anarchistic.
For something a little different, I recently fell across a couple of songs that integrated rap: You may like the version of Solidarity Forever from the Labour of Love album by Mohammad Ali. I haven't listened to the full album yet, but I believe the whole thing is about labor and organizing (hence the title).
Also, Gangstagrass does a great version of John Henry, incorporating rap into bluegrass.
I can't link all the songs above, but most of them show up early in my Labor and Working Life playlist at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6KPro9Wl1HQ8Q8R3Dd1qmB?si=75bd2d0c50a3432d
Thanks for the tip about the Voice of Southern Labor book. If you're saying the workers heard these songs *in* factories, I'm a bit shocked I didn't come across that when I wrote an article about music *at* work several months ago. I'll definitely check out the book.
You may also be interested in the article "Field Hollers, Cries, Work Songs, and Shouts
How Slaves Literally Sang to Keep Sane," by our fellow Substacker "400 Years"(https://400years.substack.com/p/field-hollers-cries-work-songs-and) .
Thank you, Bob, for all of this information.
The textile workers heard the songs on the radio, not in the factories, by the way.
I will definitely have a look at the songs you suggested and at your playlist. There are certain things that I look for when including a song. First, are there lyrics with specific references to people or events in history? Second, can it be handled within about 800 words? I’m hoping to find songs that fit the bill among the sources you have listed!
Stay tuned. 🎶