Which Side Are You On?

On May 3rd, 2009 folk singer Pete Seeger turned 90. I wish I could have been present at the celebration. Many artists appeared to offer tribute at Madison Square Garden. Some of those who attended included Joan Baez, Ramblin Jack Elliot, Bruce Springsteen, Emmylou Harris, Ani Difranco, Tom Morello (former of Rage Against the Machine), Bruce Cockburn and many others.

I neglected to post any information about the celebration back in May but I am making mention of the celebration now as lately I have been falling in love with one particular song all over again. The song is not a Pete Seeger song, although Pete and many others have covered it. The 1930s diddy, Which Side Are You On by Florence Reece was sung on Pete's birthday by Ani Difranco and Bruce Cockburn.


Ani Difranco and Bruce Cockburn singing Which Side Are You On?


The song's history begins in 1931. Coal miners in Harlan County, Kentucky were on strike. Company officers would beat, jail or even kill coal union leaders. The coal miners rose up and blood was shed. It was certainly a war of the classes.

So, who was Florence Reece? She was a social activist, poet and folk song writer. Her husband was a union leader and organizer. One night a sherrif ransacked her home while she was alone with her seven children. It is reported that Florence Reece ripped a sheet from her wall calendar and wrote the lyrics to "Which Side Are You On?" Since that time many different versions of the song's lyrics have formed.

In 1940 Pete Seeger learned the song. At the time he was a part of the Almanac Singers which included Woody Guthrie, Lee Hays, and Millard Lampell. Since then the song has been covered by many other such as Billy Bragg, Natalie Merchant, Ani Difranco and others.

Florence and her husband Sam Reese were married for 64 years, until his death from "black lung" in 1978. Florence spent her life speaking on behalf of unions and social welfare issues. She died of a heart attack in 1986 at the age of 86 in Tennesse.


Here is the original song by the scratchy throat of Florence herself.

Which Side Are You On? by Florence Reece (original version)

Come all you good workers,
Good news to you I'll tell
Of how the 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 dady was a miner,
And I'm a miner's son,
And I'll stick with the union
'Til 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.

On April 30th a group of folk singers performed a newer version of the song to fit our times. Ani Difranco, Melissa Ferrick Catie Curtis, The Indigo Girls, Hamell On Trial and Peter Mulvey played the song at the Progressive fundraiser in Madison WI.

This song has great meaning to me. Not only because I have a love of folk music and folk music history, but because the song asks us all to question our beliefs, our politics, our inspirations, our motivations. It's no wonder that so many have utilized the song to emphasize their own passionate ideas.

I find songs like these to be proud moments in history. Moments in which a community unites, encourages and supports each other. Moments in which individuals can express themselves with enthusiasm and creativity. Music is just one of the many ways to make noise...to make ourselves heard.

So, whether it be politics or other personal matters we can look to new and certainly old songs that we can relate to that make us feel empowered and less isolated.