It’s the Friday before Labor Day Weekend and most Americans are counting the minutes until their three-day weekend begins. For many, this weekend will be full of cookouts, trips to the lake, and other fun-in-the-sun activities. Most will celebrate the extra day off without realizing its deeper meaning.
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Labor Day, celebrated on the first Monday of September, is a day to honor the American labor movement and the workers who keep our country and economy moving. Championed by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, it became a national holiday in 1894.
With that in mind, let’s look at some pro-worker songs to spice up your Labor Day playlist.
“Workin’ Man Blues” by Merle Haggard—Celebrating Labor Day with a Song About Hard Work
Let’s start with something that many country music fans are familiar with. “Workin’ Man Blues” is Merle Haggard’s ode to the American blue-collar worker. It’s all about working hard all week to provide for one’s family even when the urge to quit and “bum around” is strong.
Haggard penned the song and released it as the second single from his 1969 album A Portrait of Merle Haggard. The song went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and went on to be one of his signature songs.
“Solidarity Forever” by Pete Seeger—A Union Standard
Now, we begin our trek into the weeds, so to speak, of pro-worker songs. American writer, activist, and artist Ralph Chaplin penned the lyrics of “Solidarity Forever” in 1915. Sung to the tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” this has been a trade union anthem for more than a century. Folk singer and activist Pete Seeger recorded the version below for his album If I Had a Hammer: Songs of Hope and Struggle.
The song’s meaning rings as true today as it did in 1915. It is a call for unity among workers and trade unionists.
“Dump the Bosses Off Your Back” by Utah Phillips—A Song for Angry Workers on Labor Day
John Brill wrote the lyrics for “Dump the Bosses Off Your Back” for the 15th edition of Songs of the Workers, published by the Industrial Workers of the World trade union in 1919. Sung to the tune of the hymn “Take It to the Lord in Prayer,” this song is a call for workers to push back against cruel bosses.
Activist, poet, and folk singer Utah Phillips recorded a version of the union standard for his 1983 live album We Have Fed You All a Thousand Years. The recording begins with a preamble in which Phillips discusses the meaning and origin of the song.
“Which Side Are You On” by The Almanac Singers—A Song from the Harlan County War
Florence Reece, wife of union organizer Sam Reece wrote “Which Side Are You On” in 1931 during the Harlan County War. The “war” was a series of skirmishes between coal miners fighting for their right to unionize for better pay and safer working conditions and the mining company owners who would stop at nothing to maintain the status quo.
The mining company hired Sheriff J. H. Blair, who is named in the song, and his men to stomp out the blossoming union. One night, he and his men went to the Reece home in search of Sam. However, someone tipped him off and he left. Unfortunately, Blair and his men saw Florence and the Reece children alone in the home and terrorized them. She wrote this song later that evening to the tune of the hymn “Lay the Lily Low.”
Several artists have recorded “Which Side Are You On” over the years. However, the Almanac Singers released one of the first recordings and helped the song reach a wider audience.
Featured Image by Skip Bolen/EPA/Shutterstock
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