No Pie in the Sky When You Die

“We Have Fed You All A Thousand Years” – “Utah Phillips sings the songs and tells the stories of the Industrial Workers of the World.” 1984 Philo Record

This is a classic record of 18 labor, leftist and revolutionary songs by Utah Phillips, I.W.W. member and folk singer.  Recorded live in Canada, he sings, talks, tells stories, jokes and gets his audience into sing-a-longs, much like Pete Seeger.  The song writers vary from ‘the unknown proletarian’ of the title, to T-Bone Slim, Joe Hill and Woody Guthrie.  Accompanied by his strumming guitar and strong voice, Phillips makes fun of preachers, religion, scabs and brown-nose workers.  He takes aim at the bosses and their cops.  He celebrates unions and solidarity.  He pats hoboes and Wobblies (IWW members) on the back.

Classics include “The Preacher and the Slave,” “Casey Jones – the Union Scab,” “Bread and Roses,” Hallelujah I’m a Bum,” “Solidarity Forever” and “There is Power In A Union.”  Many of the tunes borrow the melody from popular songs, twisting them around.  “Onward Christian Soldiers” becomes something else entirely.

Check Phillips out on You Tube: 

I will not obey

Hallelujah I'm A Bum

Many of Phillips’ songs are included in a small red booklet of words and music titled “IWW Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent” sold at May Day.  It includes 41 songs that have been sung in the U.S. labor movement for years, including The International, Union Maid, Dump the Bosses Off Your Back, Joe Hill and Banks of Marble.  Here in Minneapolis we had an activist-connected Labor Chorus that attempted to bring back singing to U.S. unionism, a role music had in earlier times in the U.S. union movement.  This is much like the role of singing in the British Labor Party and its associated unions.

Music is a universal language.  May Day carries many books with left-wing takes on music.  Dylan, Patti Smith, Punk, Joplin, Grunge, Blues, Folk, Hip Hop, etc.  Call or knock to ask about them.

Prior blog reviews on music, use blog search box, upper left:  “In Search of the Blues,” “33 Revolutions Per Minute,” “The Blues – A Visual History,” “Let Us Now Praise the Dead,” “How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin,” “Zappa Plays Zappa,” “Laurel Canyon,” “Life” (Richards), “Echo in the Canyon,” “Just Kids” (P Smith), “The Long Strange Trip.”

In Tribute to John Prine – “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore.”

Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore

The Kulture Kommissar

April 9, 2020