Ask yourself: “Which Side Are You On?”
Or you can watch the video, listen to the song, and let Pete Seeger ask you [YouTube video]:
As a YouTube commenter points out, the picture of Karl Marx displayed from 1:36 to 2:06 gives an indication of which side you’re on, but I digress.
I love union songs - they’re some of the clearest, plaintive, most harrowing songs in the old-time genre.
Unfortunately, most of the people who still tout them are 50% scoundrel and 50% dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks.
They’re still lots of fun to sing and play, though.
Which Side Are You On?
by Florence Reese
Come all of you good workers
Good news to you I’ll tell
Of how that good old union
Has come in here to dwell
(Chorus)
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on?
My daddy was a miner
And I’m a miner’s son
And I’ll stick with the union
Till every battle’s won
They say in Harlan County
There are no neutrals there
You’ll either be a union man
Or a thug for J.H. Blair
Oh, workers can you stand it?
Oh, tell me how you can
Will you be a lousy scab
Or will you be a man?
Don’t scab for the bosses
Don’t listen to their lies
Us poor folks haven’t got a chance
Unless we organize.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Elementaryhistoryteacher 09.01.08 at 8:01 pm
Yes, the image of Marx is a bit intereesting. He looks like the benevolent father, doesn’t he?
These songs and the time period are quite interesting, but I’m just not sure we need such rabidness towards supporting unions today. If liability insurance (which is a professional necessity today)could be obtained in a cheaper way from another source many of my colleages here in Georgia would not be members of professional association that has ties to a larger national union.
Shakes The Clown 09.01.08 at 11:37 pm
I recently rented “Harlan County, USA” which features that song. I think that is where the song came from.
Biased but interesting documentary. No doubt those people were taking sides and they were nasty about it. Didn’t care for them scabs neither. I bet they beat a few up off camera.
The tension in that film is something. The history of outright violence in the American labor movement is stunning. The National Guard or the local police/state troopers used to come in and kill people. And the strikers used to kill people too (and blow up mines and steelworks).
It is a great time to be alive in that respect. No more “Which side are you on”. That used to be a big question with a fist at the end of it.
The Harlan County documentary is interesting because you could still get some of that vibe in the 1970s. I can only imagine what it was like back in the day.
Matthew K. Tabor 09.03.08 at 4:18 pm
EHT,
Do you mean to say that you don’t have a framed portrait of Papa Marx on your mantle?
Tsk tsk.
I’m with you 100% - as situations change, so must the rhetoric. I’m not suggesting that union zealots spurn their rich history, just that they keep proper perspective.
We’re seeing a very interesting thing play out between the unions and the Democrats…
Matthew K. Tabor 09.03.08 at 4:23 pm
Shakes,
You’re right - that’s the same Harlan County. As in the song, JH Blair was the sheriff/enforcer mentioned in the film.
Historical tension, especially in the rural United States, is one of the most interesting things out there. That’s why I’m so fascinated by union history - just as you said, the actions and reactions were on a grander scale [and on both sides!] than the milquetoast stuff that we’re used to.
Time to grab that film.