WE NEVER FORGET: Joe Hill-Songs from the Little Red Songbook, Part One

The Songs of Joe Hill from the Little Red Songbook, Part 1.
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Fellow Workers, sit back and relax. It’s time to honor the memory of Joe Hill by enjoying the songs that he left to us. Over the next few days, WE NEVER FORGET, The Labor Martyrs Project, will feature FW Hill’s musical and lyrical legacy by presenting his songs in the order in which they were first published in the Little Red Songbooks of the Industrial Workers of the World. Today we offer Part 1 of this series.

But before we get started, I want to take a moment to thank Political Folk Music Dot Org for the work that they are doing in preserving our working class fighting songs. And not only preserving, but offering lyrics, sheet music, and karaoke background music for those who wish to learn the songs, and/or perform them. Please visit this web site and toss a few spares coins their way to help support this great work! The web site describes the mission of Political Folk Music:

Political Folk Music is a not for profit website dedicated to the historical preservation of working class music, including lyrics, sheet music, midi files, and karaoke files. Political Folk Music promotes the social performance of working class songs in accordance with the belief of Fellow Worker John Neuhaus, who “passionately believed that Wobblies and friends should continue to sing [these songs],” treating them not as “cultural or historical artifacts” but as “songs in the repertoires of living singers” (The Big Red Songbook, Charles H. Kerr Publishing Company, 2007, p. 7).

http://politicalfolkmusic.org/index/

Songs of Joe Hill, Published in Little Red Songbook, 1911 & 1912
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The Industrial Worker of July 11, 1911 announced a new edition of the Little Red Songbook which included:

“Long Haired Preachers” on page 26
Sung by Utah Phillips

Long-haired preachers come out every night,
Try to tell you what’s wrong and what’s right;
But when asked how ’bout something to eat
They will answer with voices so sweet:

CHORUS:
You will eat, bye and bye,
In that glorious land above the sky;
Work and pray, live on hay,
You’ll get pie in the sky when you die.

The starvation army they play,
They sing and they clap and they pray
‘Till they get all your coin on the drum
Then they’ll tell you when you’re on the bum:

Holy Rollers and jumpers come out,
They holler, they jump and they shout.
Give your money to Jesus they say,
He will cure all diseases today.

If you fight hard for children and wife —
Try to get something good in this life —
You’re a sinner and bad man, they tell,
When you die you will sure go to hell.

Workingmen of all countries, unite,
Side by side we for freedom will fight;
When the world and its wealth we have gained
To the grafters we’ll sing this refrain:

FINAL CHORUS:
You will eat, bye and bye,
When you’ve learned how to cook and to fry.
Chop some wood, ’twill do you good,
And you’ll eat in the sweet bye and by

For Lyrics and links to sheet music and karaoke music:
http://politicalfolkmusic.org/posts/the_preacher_and_the_slave/

The Industrial Worker of July 11, 1912 reported that the new edition of the Little Red Songbook would include “Casey Jones.” That edition of the songbook was published by The Industrial Worker in Spokane Washington. Five other new songs by Joe Hill were also included.

“Casey Jones” appeared on page 1.
Mark Ross sings Joe Hill’s “Casey Jones the Union Scab”

The Workers on the S. P. line to strike sent out a call;
But Casey Jones, the engineer, he wouldn’t strike at all;
His boiler it was leaking, and its drivers on the bum,
And his engine and its bearings, they were all out of plumb.

Casey Jones kept his junk pile running;
Casey Jones was working double time;
Casey Jones got a wooden medal,
For being good and faithful on the S. P. line.

The workers said to Casey: “Won’t you help us win this strike?”
But Casey said: “Let me alone, you’d better take a hike.”
Then some one put a bunch of railroad ties across the track,
And Casey hit the river bottom with an awful crack.

Casey Jones hit the river bottom;
Casey Jones broke his blessed spine;
Casey Jones was an Angelino,
He took a trip to heaven on the S. P. line.

When Casey Jones got up to heaven, to the Pearly Gate,
He said: “I’m Casey Jones, the guy that pulled the S. P. freight.”
“You’re just the man,” said Peter, “our musicians went on strike;
You can get a job a’scabbing any time you like.”

Casey Jones got up to heaven;
Casey Jones was doing mighty fine;
Casey Jones went scabbing on the angels,
Just like he did to workers of the S. P. line.

They got together, and they said it wasn’t fair,
For Casey Jones to go around a’scabbing everywhere.
The Angels’ Union No. 23, they sure were there,
And they promptly fired Casey down the Golden Stairs.

Casey Jones went to Hell a’flying;
“Casey Jones,” the Devil said, “Oh fine:
Casey Jones, get busy shoveling sulphur;
That’s what you get for scabbing on the S. P. Line.”

For Lyrics and links to sheet music and karaoke music:
http://politicalfolkmusic.org/posts/casey_jones_the_union_scab/

“Everybody’s Joining It” on page 33.
Tune: Everybody’s Doing It Now, an Irving Berlin song of 1911 -Collins & Harlan

Fellow workers, can’t you hear,
There is something in the air.
Everywhere you walk everybody talks
‘Bout the I. W. W.
They have got a way to strike
That the master doesn’t like —
Everybody sticks,
That’s the only trick,
Al are joining now.

CHORUS:
Everybody’s joining it, joining what? Joining it!
Everybody’s joining it, joining what? Joining it!
One Big Union, that’s the workers’ choice,
One Big Union, that’s the only choice,
One Big Union, that’s the only noise,
One Big Union, shout with all your voice;
Make a noise, make a noise, make a noise, boys,
Everybody’s joining it, joining what? Joining it!
Everybody’s joining it, joining what? Joining it!
Joining in this union grand,
Boys and girls in every land;
All the workers hand in hand —
Everybody’s joining it now.

The’ Boss is feeling mighty blue,
He don’t know just what to do.
We have got his goat, got him by the throat,
Soon he’ll work or go starving.
Join I. W. W.
Don’t let bosses trouble you,
Come and join with us —
Everybody does —
You’ve got nothing to lose.

Will the One Big Union Grow?
Mister Bonehead wants to know.
Well! What do you think, of that funny gink,
Asking such foolish questions?
Will it grow? Well! Look a here,
Brand new locals everywhere,
Better take a hunch,
Join the fighting bunch,
Fight for Freedom and Right.

For Lyrics and links to sheet music and karaoke music:
http://politicalfolkmusic.org/posts/everybodys_joining_it/

“Where the Frazer River Flows” on page 39:
Sung by Utah Phillips

Fellow workers pay attention
to what I’m going to mention,
For it is the fixed intention
of the Workers of the World.
And I hope you’ll all be ready,
true-hearted, brave and
steady,
To gather ’round our standard
when the Red Flag is unfurled.

CHORUS
Where the Fraser river flows,
each fellow worker knows,
They have bullied and oppressed us,
but still our Union grows.
And we’re going to find a way, boys,
for shorter hours and better pay, boys;
And we’re going to win the day, boys;
where the river Fraser flows.

For these gunny-sack contractors
have all been dirty actors,
And they’re not our benefactors,
each fellow worker knows.
So we’ve got to stick together
in fine or dirty weather,
And we will show no white feather,
where the Fraser river flows.

Now the boss the law is stretching,
bulls and pimps he’s fetching,
And they are a fine collection,
as Jesus only knows.
But why their mothers reared them,
and why the devil spared them,
Are questions we can’t answer,
where the Fraser river flows.

For Lyrics and links to sheet music and karaoke music:
http://politicalfolkmusic.org/posts/where_the_fraser_river_flows/

“Coffee An'” on page 42:
Tune: Count Your Blessings, sung by Chelmsford Citadel Songsters

An employment shark the other day I went to see,
And he said come in and buy a job from me,
Just a couple of dollars, for the office fee,
The job is steady and the fare is free.

CHORUS:
Count your pennies, count them, count them one by one,
Then you plainly see how you are done,
Count your pennies, take them in your hand,
Sneak into a Jap’s and get your coffee an’.

I shipped out and worked and slept in lousy bunks,
And the grub it stunk as bad as forty-‘leven skunks,
When I slaved a week the boss he said one day,
You’re too tired, you are fired, go and get your pay.

When the clerk commenced to count, Oh holy gee!
Road, school and poll tax and hospital fee.
Then I fainted, and I nearly lost my sense
When the clerk he said: “You owe me fifty cents.”

When I got back to town with blisters on my feet,
There I heard a fellow speaking on the street.
And he said: “It is the workers’ own mistake.
If they stick together they get all they make.”

And he said: “Come in and join our union grand.
Who will be a member of this fighting band?”
“Write me out a card,” says I, “By Gee!
The Industrial worker is the dope for me.”

FINAL CHORUS:
Count your workers, count them, count them one by one,
Join our union and we’ll show you how it’s done.
Stand together, workers, hand in hand,
Then you will never have to live on coffee an’.

For Lyrics and links to sheet music and karaoke music:
http://politicalfolkmusic.org/posts/coffee_an/

“John Golden and the Lawrence Strike” on page 43.
Tune: Just A Little Talk With Jesus, sung by Zoomtop Quartet

In Lawrence, when the starving masses struck for more to eat
And wooden-headed Wood tried the strikers to defeat,
To Sammy Gompers wrote and asked him what he thought,
And this is just the answer that the mailman brought

CHORUS:
A little talk —
A little talk with Golden
Makes it all right, all right;
He’ll settle any strike,
If there’s coin enough in sight;
Just take him up to dine
And everything is fine —
A little talk with Golden
Makes it right, all right.

The preachers, cops and money-kings were working hand in hand,
The boys in blue, with stars and stripes were sent by Uncle Sam;
Still things were looking blue ’cause every striker knew
That weaving cloth with bayonets is hard to do.

John Golden had with Mr. Wood a private interview,
He told him how to bust up the “I double double U.”
He came out in a while and wore the Golden smile.
He said: “I’ve got all labor leaders skinned a mile.”

John Golden pulled a bogus strike with all his “pinks and stools.”
He thought the rest would follow like a bunch of crazy fools.
But to his great surprise the “foreigners” were wise,
In one big solid union they were organized.

FINAL CHORUS:
That’s one time Golden did not
Make it right, all right;
In spite of all his schemes
The strikers won the fight.
When all the workers stand
United hand in hand,
The world with all its wealth
Shall be at their command.

For Lyrics and links to sheet music and karaoke music:
http://politicalfolkmusic.org/posts/a_little_talk_with_golden/

SOURCES

Joe Hill
-by Gibbs M. Smith
Gibbs Smith, Sep 1, 2009
https://books.google.com/books?id=wFwsHQVuHVUC

The Big Red Songbook
-ed by Archie Green, David Roediger, Franklin Rosemont
Charles H. Kerr, 2007
https://books.google.com/books?id=aQHaAAAAMAAJ

IMAGES
Joe Hill, Self-Portrait at Sailors’ Rest Mission in San Pedro, April 1911
http://joehill2015.org/joe-hill/joe-hill-songs/there-is-power-in-a-union/
Political Folk Music .org Logo
http://politicalfolkmusic.org/index//

See also:

Political Folk Music Dot Org
http://politicalfolkmusic.org/index/

Joe Hill’s Songs at Joe Hill 2015 dot org
http://joehill2015.org/joe-hill/joe-hill-songs/

Joe Hill’s Music, The Defiant Power of Song
http://local.sltrib.com/charts/joehill/music.html

The Songs of Joe Hill
http://www.folkarchive.de/hill.html