It is as true today as it was 100 years ago. Joe Hill & T-Bone Slim (Matti Huhta) were friends of my grandfather. I grew up on Utah Phillips stuff, sang with him a few times, and sure miss his wit and good humor. He is right, folk music belongs to all us folks.
Joe Hill was introduced to me during my union organizing days in Reading, PA, when we got an NLRB election at the local newspaper. I cried and still weep when I hear Joan Baez sing about Joe Hill from her performance at Woodstock. "What they couldn't kill . . went on to organize." I'll never forget it, nor will I forget the 100 anniversary of his death in November, 2015.
Joe Hill modified a tune called "The Preacher and the Slave". He created new words and called it "Pie in the Sky". There is a long tradition in folk music of using an existing tune, making new words for it, and creating a new song that way with a different title.
not quite. actually, the title of this song is "The Preacher and The Slave." it's a broadside of the old hymn "The Sweet Bye-and-Bye" written by Joe Hill.
Utah is kind of misstating it here. The Joe Hill song is called "The Preacher and the Slave." The original, the source of the tune, was the hymn "In the Sweet By and By."
The people singing this on a strike had their signs up with “We want fair wages” 8 hr work and days off slogans written on them while they sang. Imagine that while hearing the song.
Utah Phillips was exterminated in the State of Utah for singing songs like this: Preachers trying to tell you what's wrong and what's right, promising some glorious land in the sky. Give your money to Jesus and you'll eat pie in the sky on that glorious day when U die... (That's a lie...!)
And the Starvation Army they play, and they laugh and they clap and they pray, til they get all your coin on the drum, and they'll tell you when you're on the bum...
It's really funny that he supposedly kill that man but they had no evidence even the president tried to help appeal it and after his execution they lost the case records so really I believe he was innocent
Hil was executed by firing squad in 1915. He became a powerful martyr for the IWW cause by telegramming his comrades with a famous last-minute message: “Don’t waste any time in mourning. Organize.”
![Utah Phillips - Ramblin' [Full Concert]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OHp6aGL0YWc/mqdefault.jpg)
It is as true today as it was 100 years ago. Joe Hill & T-Bone Slim (Matti Huhta) were friends of my grandfather. I grew up on Utah Phillips stuff, sang with him a few times, and sure miss his wit and good humor. He is right, folk music belongs to all us folks.
Rik Stern
Bravo. We need some good organizing music almost as much as we need some good union organizing.
Joe Hill was introduced to me during my union organizing days in Reading, PA, when we got an NLRB election at the local newspaper. I cried and still weep when I hear Joan Baez sing about Joe Hill from her performance at Woodstock.
"What they couldn't kill . . went on to organize."
I'll never forget it, nor will I forget the 100 anniversary of his death in November, 2015.
I've done work for Duncan Phillips in Utah and he is the most gracious and respectful person I've ever met. No wonder.
Joe Hill modified a tune called "The Preacher and the Slave". He created new words and called it "Pie in the Sky". There is a long tradition in folk music of using an existing tune, making new words for it, and creating a new song that way with a different title.
adhdenise yes Dylan does so.
not quite. actually, the title of this song is "The Preacher and The Slave." it's a broadside of the old hymn "The Sweet Bye-and-Bye" written by Joe Hill.
Thanks for posting fellow worker!
Epic beard proves that this guy is the genuine article.
Utah is kind of misstating it here. The Joe Hill song is called "The Preacher and the Slave." The original, the source of the tune, was the hymn "In the Sweet By and By."
"Long Haired Preachers" is was what Joe Hill originally called it
joe hill was the most known and at the same time the most unknown swedish dude in history ✊
folk music is loose and fluid, it transforms and grows and is in flux, pie in the sky may very well be the name it goes by in some places....ya know?
Yeah, sill singing along with Utah!
Love this piece of Spokane history
I love hisß prose!
national treasure…if that even means anything at all
The people singing this on a strike had their signs up with “We want fair wages” 8 hr work and days off slogans written on them while they sang. Imagine that while hearing the song.
I have a Guild just like that, but in a 12 string. It's pretty cool.
@d33pS3Ad1v3r The hymn Joe Hill took the melody from is "The Preacher and the Slave", the title of his altered song is "The Pie in the Skye".
Folk - a precious companion.
Here's another version of 'The Preacher and the Slave' : ua-cam.com/video/Eo9f38GfWNA/v-deo.html
@d33pS3Ad1v3r You left your caps-lock on, how embarr-ass-ing.
Utah Phillips was exterminated in the State of Utah for singing songs like this: Preachers trying to tell you what's wrong and what's right, promising some glorious land in the sky. Give your money to Jesus and you'll eat pie in the sky on that glorious day when U die... (That's a lie...!)
And the Starvation Army they play, and they laugh and they clap and they pray, til they get all your coin on the drum, and they'll tell you when you're on the bum...
向乔 希尔致敬
southern liberals won't like this song.
Well then those southern liberals can keep sucking off their southern conservative neighbors. This southern commie is all about this music.
No liberals would like a socialist song, definitely no conservatives either
...actually Joe Hill was executed for having murdered another human being. It had nothing to do with his songs.
Probably framed: a typical tactic by those in power.
It's really funny that he supposedly kill that man but they had no evidence even the president tried to help appeal it and after his execution they lost the case records so really I believe he was innocent
Hil was executed by firing squad in 1915. He became a powerful martyr for the IWW cause by telegramming his comrades with a famous last-minute message: “Don’t waste any time in mourning. Organize.”
There was literally no evidence, but that never matters when someone becomes too "inconvenient".