Music History: Joe Hill, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan

[Johnny Hughes]

Joe Hill's songs went to Unions.
Pocket books of soapbox songs.
All across America.
Strike, picket, sing along.

Woody Guthrie rambled America.
Rode his thumb and the rails.
Sang in boxcars, worker's bars,
Picket lines and jails.

Songs of hope for hopeless people.
Joy in joyless times.
They did their jail time,
More for Union rhymes than crimes.

Union songs got Joe Hill shot,
Woody on the old black list.
Organizing, travelling minstrels.
Who wouldn't change any of this.

Woody Guthrie tried to be Joe Hill.
Bob Dylan tried to be him.
Songs of the people.
American working class anthems.

We marched, we sang.
Deep in our hearts, we did believe.
We remember bright November days.
Remember and grieve.

Heroes then, heroes now,
Heroes for all time.
They speak to the American people,
In a century of rhyme.