Today in Labor History May 15, 1942: IWW song writer T-Bone Slim, died in New York City. T-Bone wrote such Wobbly classics as “The Mysteries of a Hobo’s Life,” “The Popular Wobbly,” and “The Lumberjack’s Prayer.” T-Bone Slim once said, "Wherever you find injustice, the proper form of politeness is attack." He also said, "Tear Gas: The most effective agent used by employers to persuade their employees that the interests of capital and labor are identical."

Dreamers - Claire Denamur

#musicwomenwednesday
#music #folkmusic

https://youtu.be/vGOZj5FwWX4?feature=shared

Today in Labor History May 10, 1887: UMW organizer Ginger Goodwin was born on this date. He was also a socialist and anti-war activist. In 1918, he was murdered by a private cop. His assassination, along with outrage over World War One conscription, inflation, low wages, and censorship of the socialist media, sparked Canada's first General Strike, in Vancouver. Goodwin said that workers of one country should not be employed to kill workers of another country because of capitalist conflict. “War is simply part of the process of Capitalism,” he said. “Big financial interests will reap the victory, no matter how the war ends.”

The Ballad Of Ginger Goodwin

Ginger Goodwin is a name you don't often hear or see.
They don't say a word about him in our country's history.
He was a labour leader and he wouldn't go to war.
"While the army breaks our strikes at home, its strikers I'll fight for."

In Trail back in the summer of 1917.
Ginger fought against conscription even though he was class D.
But when he led a miners' strike to spread the eight hour day
Conscription checked him out again and found he was class A.

Ginger hid from cops and soldiers in the hills near Cumberland.
Miners brought him food and sheltered him, they knew he was their friend.
So the bosses hired special cops when their power was at stake.
Dan Campbell murdered Goodwin at the head of Comox Lake.

The whole damn town of Cumberland turned out for the funeral hike.
Vancouver's workers shut her down for a one day general strike.
Soldiers back from foreign wars then attacked the labour hall.
Both the bosses and the workers knew who caused the Czar's downfall.

You can still see Ginger's grave along the road to Cumberland.
He didn't win no medals and no one understands.
Don't tell me that a hero has to die in foreign lands.
We lost heroes here in labour's wars and they all had dirty hands.

https://youtu.be/GrwUueuW6rs

This week’s @accordionnoir celebrates the 196the birthday of the #accordion (and also #Newfoundland’s trad player Art Stoyles )

With good old fashioned #metal #reggae & #FolkMusic

And a beautiful last set of prog #Cajun #Irish #Swedish #Estonian sound art with the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Tuulikki Bartosik & Adel Force, and @Lankum

https://accordionuprising.wordpress.com/2025/05/08/accordion-noir-radio-playlist-2025-05-07-may-the-seventh-be-with-you/

It occurs to me that what most old-time music needs is *more*spoons, not less.

Imagine if you will, the sheer raw percussive power of six, eight, a *dozen* people playing the spoons in perfect unison.

Shit, I think I'm going to have to start a spoons section in the local old-time scene.

"It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo" (1923) - Wendell Hall

https://fedi.video/w/7d1BT9QqErA3xqPgRvu4yd