Musical interlude for Labor Day

[Jack Rabbit]

This thread is dedicated to the celebration of work in song. Many scholars believe that the human art form of the song is decendant of the field hollar.

The Field Shanty

Huddie Ledbetter, also known as Leadbelly, had an uncle who would hollar to his wife, a woman named Sylvie, to bring him water while he worked in his field. Based on his uncle's field hollar, Leadbelly wrote the following song:

(G)Bring a little water, Sylvie,
Bring a little water, (D7)now.
(G)Bring a little water, Sylvie,
Don't you hear me? (C)Every lil' once in a while,
(G)Don't you hear me? (D7)Every lil' once in a (G)while.

Bring a Little Water, Sylvie (Words and music by Huddie Ledbetter)

The Sea Shanty

Sailors provide a rich and colorful tradition of work songs. One of the best known of these is What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor? This was sung be sailors as they performed the heavy task of hoisting the anchor by turning the ship's capstan.

(Em)What will we do with the drunken sailor?
(D)What will we do with the drunken sailor?
(Em)What will we do with the drunken sailor?
(D)Earlye in the (Em)morning?

Chorus:
Way, hay up she rises,
Way, hay, up she rises,
Way, hay, up she rises,
Earlye in the morning!

What Do You Do with a Drunken Sailor? (Traditional)

The Cowboy Song

The cowhands of the American west were hard working men who enjoyed having a good time after long hauls. A slang term for a good time was to throw the houlihan. This specifically meant roping cattle for sport (the forerunner of the rodeo), but also could mean a night of carousing in town.

(G)I ride an (Em)old paint, I (G)lead an (Em)old Dan
I'm goin' to Mon(D7)tana for to (G)throw the houlihan
They feed in the (D7)coulees, they (G)water in the draw
Their (D7)tails are all matted, and their (C)backs are all (G)raw
Ride a(D7)round, little dogies, (G)ride around slow
For (D7)Fiery and Snuffy are (C)rarin' to (G)go.

I Ride an Old Paint (traditional)

Slavery

Most working people came ot America to take advantage of the opportunity a new life in a new land offered. On the other hand, one group of working people was brought to this continent by force and denied the right to collect wages for labor. The African slave did not work hard to be rewarded, but simply to escape punishment.

Many sought freedom in places where slavery was outlawed. In the early nineteenth century, the underground railroad, an informally organized and illegal network of escaped slaves and white sympathizers, helped many run north.

The following song is a musical set of directions to slaves running north. The drinking gourd of the song is the Little Dipper.

Chorus:
(Em)Foll(A)ow the (Em)drinking gourd,
(Em)Foll(A)ow the (Em)drinking gourd,
For the (G)old man is a-(D)waitin' for to (Em)carry you to (Bm)freedom,
(Em)Follow the (Bm)drinking (Em)gourd.

(Em)The river bank makes a (D)mighty good (Em)road,
The dead trees (D)show you the (Em)way,
Left foot, peg foot, (D)traveling (Em)on
Follow the (D)Drinking (Em)Gourd.



Follow the Drinking Gourd (traditional)

Coal Miners

This may be the first recorded song I remember. It was sung by Tennessee Ernie Ford in one of the great performances of studio recordings.

The song was written and first performed by Merle Travis. Travis was the son of a Kentucky coal miner. There is some dispute as to how Travis came to write the song. According to Travis, the refrain was taken from something his father said during a visit to the doctor: I can't die now, doc. I owe my soul to the company store.

(Em)Some people say man is (Am)made out of (B7)mud,
But a (Em)poor man's made out of (Am)muscle and (B7)blood,
(Em)Muscle and blood, (Am)skin and bones,
A (Em)mind that's weak and back that's (B7)strong.

Chorus:
You load (Em)sixteen tons, (Am)wat do you (B7)get?
An(Em)other day older and (Am)deeper in (B7)debt --
Saint (Em)Peter don't you call me 'cause (Am)I can't go,
I (Em)owe my soul to the (Em)company (Em)store.

Sixteen Tons (Words and music by Merle Travis)

Union Organizing

This song also comes from the Kentucky coal fields. In 1931, the mine workers in Harlan County were organizing. The local mine owners wanted to stop them and employed the help of the local sheriff, Mr. Blair, to help them. As was often the case in labor disputes, the sheriff deputized thugs to physically intimidate union leaders. One night, the "deputies" came to the home of Sam Reece, a union leader, while he was not home. In the presence of Reece's wife, Florence, and their children, the sheriff's men entered the home to seach for him. They then left, waiting outside for Reece.

One can well imagine how frightened Mrs. Reece was. To take comfort, she wrote the following lyrics set to a chuch hymn.

Chorus:
(Em)Which side are you on?
(D)Which side are you (Em)on?
Which side are you on?
(D)Which side are you (Em)on?

(Em)Come all you good workers,
(D)Good news to you I'll (Em)tell
Of how the good old (D)union
Has (Em)come in (B7)here to (Em)dwell.

Which Side Are You On? (Music traditional (Lay the Lily Low/words by Florence Reece)

Migrant Workers

Woody Guthrie wrote a number of songs to honor migrant farm workers. This one is one his most lyrical songs. The entire song may be sung on one chord, usually given as G:

It's a mighty hard row that my poor hands have hoed
My poor feet have traveled a hot dusty road
Out of your Dust Bowl and Westward we rolled
And your deserts were hot and your mountains were cold

Pastures of Plenty (Words and music by Woody Guthrie)

Plant closures

Nowadays, the rich are once again getting richer and the poor getting poorer. The American worker is being adversely affected by the new global economy in which unionized manufactring jobs are eliminated in North America and moved overseas where labor laws are oppressive and wages low. The effect has been devistagting many American communities. Among these is Flint, Michigan, as documented by Michael Moore in his film, Roger and Me.

The following song was written by Bob Dylan in 1963. It shows that this problem predates the time when globalization had a name.

(Em)Come gather 'round friends
And I'll (D)tell you a tale
Of when the (Em)red iron pits (D)ran (Em)plenty.
But the cardboard filled windows
And (D)old men on the benches
Tell you (Em)now that the (D)whole town is (Em)empty.

North Country Blues (Words and music by Bob Dylan)

The Joy of Working for a Living

This song was written by Woody Guthrie during the Great Depression. This was a time when work was hard to come by. Many men traveled around the country and did whatever work they could find for as long as the job lasted.

In spite of the harsh times, the song is upbeat. Perhaps there is some satisfication in knowing that whatever a working person has is something he has earned honestly.

(G)I've been havin' some hard travelin', (C)I thought you knowed
(G)I've been havin' some hard travelin', (D7)way down the road
(G)I've been havin' some hard travelin', (C)hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
(G)I've been havin' some (D7)hard travelin', (G)Lord.

Hard Travelin' (Words and music by Woody Guthrie)

[cherryperry]

1. Good Job!

Thank you for your work.

Solidarity Forever!


:yourock:

[Cheswick2.0]

2. Here's one

I am not sure if fits your theme but it is one of my favs.

Hobo's Meditation


Tonight as I lay on the boxcar
Just waiting for a train to pass by
What will become of the hobo
When his time comes to die
There's a Master up yonder in heaven
Got a place that we might call our home
Will we have to work for a living
Or can we continue to roam

Will there be any freight trains in heaven
Any boxcars in which we might hide
Will there by any tough cops or brakemen
Will they tell us that we cannot ride

Will the hobo chum with the rich man
Will we always have money to spare
Will they have respect for the hobo
In that land that lies up there

[Coffee Coyote]

3. I love Leadbelly!

His powerful voice and 12-string strumming are enshrined in my heart forever. I think I must put on one of the LOC recordings now. :-)

[Jack Rabbit]

10. See post number 9, below

[catzies]

4. My dad sang sea shanties when I was a child.

Some of them were a little ribald, and we thought it was great scandalous fun to know the "dirty, grownups' songs!"

My father was the keeper of the Eddystone light,
he slept with a mermaid one fine night.
And of this union there came three,
A whale, and a porpoise and then came me!

Yo ho ho, the wind blows free,
O for the life on the rolling sea!"

[mitchum]

5. "Leadbelly was a punk"- Son House...

and Mr. House was using the classical definition. I love Son House, but I still like Leadbelly

[Jack Rabbit]

9. Leadbelly was a very interesting sort

Trouble had a way of finding him. He boasted of his ability to consume alcohol and please women. To hear him tell it, he was as good at that as he was with the 12-string guitar.

Leadbelly was also known for a nasty temper. Mix booze, broads and a bad disposition together it amonnts to two stretches in the pen for second-degree murder.

[MaryBear]

6. Nicely done, Mr. Rabbit.

Good thing the typo police are on holiday, though.

I really enjoyed reading your post.

:loveya:

[Jack Rabbit]

7. Thank you

The worst typo was in the last line of Sixteen Tons. The word company should be sung in B7 and not Em.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. Gotta give it up for Joe Hill!

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
Alive as you or me
Says I, "But Joe, you're ten years dead,"
"I never died," says he
"I never died," says he

"In Salt Lake, Joe," says I to him,
Him standing by my bed,
"They framed you on a murder charge,"
Says Joe, "But I ain't dead,"
Says Joe, "But I ain't dead."

"The copper bosses killed you, Joe,
They shot you, Joe," says I.
"Takes more than guns to kill a man,"
Says Joe, "I didn't die,"
Says Joe, "I didn't die."

And standing there as big as life
And smiling with his eyes
Joe says, "What they forgot to kill
Went on to organize,
Went on to organize."

"Joe Hill ain't dead," he says to me,
"Joe Hill ain't never died.
Where working men are out on strike
Joe Hill is at their side,
Joe Hill is at their side."

"From San Diego up to Maine,
In every mine and mill,
Where workers strike and organize,"
Says he, "You'll find Joe Hill,"
Says he, "You'll find Joe Hill."

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
Alive as you or me
Says I, "But Joe, you're ten years dead,"
"I never died," says he
"I never died," says he