https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVKMD490QD8
Something for a Labor Day weekend. A parody of The Internationale, the marching song of Communism. In America, the most popular songs about working tend to be fairly apolitical. Sixteen Tons, written and recorded by Merle Travis in 1946, became a million record seller with Tennessee Ernie Ford’s rendition in 1955:
Clearly stating the terrible conditions for many mine workers in the forties of the last century, it does not call for revolution or, indeed, any sort of political action. There are much more political songs about working in the US of course, but they are of limited popularity.
My personal two favorite work songs are from Disney:
Perhaps mixing work and music should be avoided, at least that would seem to be the message of the clip from Blazing Saddles (strong language advisory) below:
Enjoy the long weekend before you go back to your toil!
“Leave the sewing to the women”.
Dubya did a great parody of the Polish anthem. They are a talented bunch.
The song that best synthesizes communism and it’s spousal companion, secular humanism, is Lennon’s “Imagine.” Man without God.
(Okay, so it’s hard to march with, but then, in reality, Labor day is no longer about labor–but about having fun)
What about “Chain Gang” by Sam Cooke? (But then, they were prisoners.) And Lee Dorsey’s “Workin in the Coal Mine”