Labor Songs
You can find union songs and other songs about the work experience in the "Work" chapter of each book.
Labor songs in Rise Up Singing: www.riseupandsing.org/songbook/rise-up-singing/work
Other songs about work in Rise Up Singing: Hard Travelin', Step by Step, Bread & Roses, I'm Gonna Be an Engineer
See also the "Farm & Prairie" chapter for songs about migrant workers, "Mountain Voices" for songs about miners, "Sea" for sailors' labor issues.
Labor songs in Rise Again: www.riseupandsing.org/songbook/rise-again/work
Other songs in Rise Again: Annie, Between the Wars, Bells of Rhymney, The Corporate Welfare Song, Leaving Eden, Rich Man's House, Rolling Home, World in Their Pocket, Pay Me My Money Down, Shawneetown
Some of our favorite labor songs include:'
- Aragon Mill by Si Kahn
- Step by Step by Pete Seeger & Waldemar Hille (& the American Mineworkers Association)
- Bread & Roses
- Union Maid by Woody Guthrie
- We Shall Not Be Moved
- Which Side Are You On?
- Work of the Weavers (trad. Scottish)
- Dignity by Bonnie Lockhart
- Silken Dreams by Anne Hills
- We Were There by Bev Grant
- Rolling Home by John Tams
- Shuttle & Loom by Si Kahn
- Fire in the Hole by Hazel Dickens
It turns out that these are also among Bernie Sanders' favorite! Check out his 20 minute video "Bernie Sanders Top Labor Songs". All of his top songs are on the above list except Solidarity Forever and Talking Union. t
Labor Heritage Foundation has been celebrating labor song and supporting use of music by unions today for many years. They host a Great Labor Arts Exchange every June and many other projects the DC Labor Chorus and an annual Joe Hill Award to a labor singer songwriter. Check them out at laborheritage.org!
