# Lefty songs, Labour Songs ahoy!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 22, 2009, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393 "2009-01-22T02:10:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/41 "2009-01-22T18:12:00Z")
_Iron Hand_ by Dire Straits might be considered a leftist song. It’s about the cops putting down striking miners in the 80’s.
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### Author:  [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/42 "2009-01-22T21:14:55Z")
Several songs by Steve Earle. [“Christmas in Washington”](http://steveearle.net/lyrics/ly-elcor.php#ChristmasInWashington), [“Billy Austin”](http://steveearle.net/lyrics/ly-hard.php#BillyAustin), and [“Harlan Man”](http://steveearle.net/lyrics/ly-mountain.php#HarlanMan) all fit the bill in one way or another.
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/43 "2009-01-23T01:05:07Z")
“All You Fascists,” words by Woody Guthrie, music by Billy Bragg.
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### Author:  [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/44 "2009-01-23T01:09:43Z")
Couple of my favorite Billy Bragg lefty/labour songs:
“Waiting for the Great Leap Forward”
“St. Monday”
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### Author:  [@Eggerhaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggerhaus)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/45 "2009-01-23T03:31:01Z")
Both of my grandfathers were wobblies…members of the IWW…worked the mines up in northern Minnesota. Utah Phillips, who died recently, did an album of IWW songs which is just great: [http://tiny.cc/cU1g7](http://tiny.cc/cU1g7) (Amazon link)
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### Author:  [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/46 "2009-01-23T03:48:27Z")
Here are the lyrics to [Talking Union Blues](http://www.geocities.com/nashville/3448/tunion.html), the title track for _Talking Union_ mentioned by **MsRobyn** in post 7.
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### Author:  [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/47 "2009-01-23T18:08:36Z")
[Talkin’ 'Bout a Revolution](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rZbvi6Tj6E&feature=related) - Tracy Chapman
[Pretty Boy Floyd](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpMOoZOMVlg) - Woody Guthrie (The lefty stuff comes at the end.)
and the excellent cover of same
[Pretty Boy Floyd](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUxKKl1aPq8&feature=related) - Bob Dylan
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/48 "2009-01-23T19:32:54Z")
Check out [Leon Rosselson.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Rosselson)
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### Author:  [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/49 "2009-01-23T19:36:45Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#):
>
> _Iron Hand_ by Dire Straits might be considered a leftist song. It’s about the cops putting down striking miners in the 80’s.
Speaking of 80s miners there’s [We Work the Black Seam Together](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFjXKUmb8kU) by **Sting**.
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### Author:  [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2009, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/50 "2009-01-23T23:56:42Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#):
>
> Big Rock Candy Mountain
Or, as I call it, _Big Hot Thandie Newton._
I’ll mention _El Carretero_. Not sure who wrote it, but several Cubans have sung it, including Guillermo Portabeles and Eliades Ochoa. It’s about the tough life of a wheelbarrow-pusher who sweats from sunup to sundown for “the Englishman”.
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### Author:  [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/51 "2009-01-24T00:34:30Z")
Rolling Stones had a song called Sweet Neocon.
> [@](#):
>
> You call yourself a Christian
> I think that you’re a hypocrite
> You say you are a patriot
> I think that you’re a crock of shit
>
> And listen, I love gasoline
> I drink it every day
> But it’s getting very pricey
> And who is going to pay
>
> How come you’re so wrong
> My sweet neo con… Yeah
>
> It’s liberty for all
> 'Cause democracy’s our style
> Unless you are against us
> Then it’s prison without trial
>
> But one thing that is certain
> Life is good at Haliburton
> If you’re really so astute
> You should invest at Brown & Root… Yeah
you get the idea…
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### Author:  [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/52 "2009-01-24T01:25:55Z")
[Jerusalem](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=o4bzRI0BUv0)
> [@William Blake](#):
>
> And did those feet in ancient time
> Walk upon England’s mountains green?
> And was the holy Lamb of God
> On England’s pleasant pastures seen?
> And did the Countenance Divine
> Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
> And was Jerusalem builded here
> Among those dark Satanic mills?
> Bring me my bow of burning gold:
> Bring me my arrows of desire:
> Bring me my spear: O clouds, unfold!
> Bring me my chariot of fire!
> I will not cease from mental fight,
> Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
> Till we have built Jerusalem
> In England’s green and pleasant land.
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### Author:  [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lefty-songs-labour-songs-ahoy/482393/53 "2009-01-28T15:35:17Z")
Andy Irvine - [Never Tire Of The Road](http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=xRg6X1sHBt4)
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