Pulaski WI Marching Band 'Sticking to the Union' in Rose Bowl Parade

[PeaceNikki]

The Pulaski High Marching Band, of Pulaski Wisconsin, made an awesome statement in yesterday's Rose Bowl Parade.

It was quite an honor for the Red Raiders from this small town (pop. approx. 3000) northwest of Green Bay to be marching in 80-degree weather in Pasadena, while their proud community looked on from windy 18-degree Wisconsin.

The TV coverage started as they marched along playing "On Wisconsin," looking properly Badger-like in their red uniforms.

And then they got to the grandstand, at about 1:15 in the YouTube ... listen to what happened.

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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/03/1051043/-Pulaski-WI-Marching-Band-Sticking-to-the-Union-in-Rose-Bowl-Parade

Oh yes, they're gettin' down -- to Union Maid, written by Woody Guthrie!

The Walker supporters here are totally verklempt about this.

[Cal Carpenter]

1. That was awesome

Woulda been even better if those commentators had a clue what was happening, LOL

[Nevernose]

2. My stepfather was in the musician's union for 50 years

All I've got to say is: nice.

[annabanana]

3. MOST excellent! . . . . . . n/t

[Jim Lane]

4. Alas, I think the announcers had it right.

Woody Guthrie created many a song by writing new lyrics to an old tune. "Union Maid" was one of those. Here's Pete Seeger's account of the writing of the song:

"I'm proud to say I was present when 'Union Maid' was written in June, 1940, in the plain little office of the Oklahoma City Communist Party. Bob Wood, local organizer, had asked Woody Guthrie and me to sing there the night before for a small group of striking oil workers. Early next morning, Woody got to the typewriter and hammered out the first two verses of 'Union Maid' set to a European tune that Robert Schumann arranged for piano ('The Merry Farmer') back in the early 1800s. Of course, it's the chorus that really makes it - its tune, 'Red Wing,' was copyrighted early in the 1900s." (quoted in the Wikipedia article on "Union Maid" at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Maid)

According to the Kos diary, the band director says he knew the song only as "Red Wing" and wasn't familiar with the "Union Maid" lyrics.

With regret, I find it plausible that no political statement was intended.