Listen to our Songs!

SONGS

Our repertoire of songs balances a sense of history with a desire to sing and inspire the movements of today. We sing songs from past centuries to the present. We look around the world for inspiration. Usually we sing in English, but we also sing in French, Spanish, Yiddish, Arabic, Mandarin, Zulu and Tagalog.

The following is a listing of some of our songs:

Banks of Marble(Lea Rice; arr Earle Peach) A long time labour standard.

La Batea (arr Karl Kobylansky) A satirical Chilean song comparing right-wing attacks on the Allende government to the washing of dirty laundry.

Blues Union Maid (Woody Guthrie; arr Earle Peach) A classic labour song.

Bread and Roses (music by Mimi & Richard Farina, words James Oppenheim; arr Earle Peach) This song has become a women's anthem.

Burn Baby, Burn (Bruce Cockburn; arr Earle Peach) Comment on American opression.

Canning Salmon (written by student Linda Chobotuck, while working in a Vancouver cannery; arr Earle Peach) This song depictes the inequity and danger faced by women and men in the fishing industry.

A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke; additional lyrics by Solomon Burke; arr Earle Peach)

Circle Chant (Linda Hirschhorn; arr David Millard) Peace, freedom and the future of the planet in a melodic participation-friendly round.

Creo en la Paz (Electo Silva, words Rafaela Chacoun) A haunting hymn of peace and liberty.

Deportees (Woody Guthrie; arr Earle Peach).

Le Deserteur (Boris Vian) Censored for several years after its 1954 release, this tune from the multi-talented Vian (novelist, musician, inventor, among many achievements) decries France’s conscription of soldiers to fight its colonial war in Algeria.(arr. Earle Peach)

Drink of the Death Squads (David Rovics) Colombia in equatorial Sourth America has the dubious distinction of being the country that kills the most trade unionists. This song tells of gun thugs trying to stop a union at a Coca Cola plant.

Dump the Bosses (Public Domain) From the IWW’s Little Red Song book comes this exhortation to the working class to get smart – there are more of you than of them. Classic satire from North America’s early industrial union, utilizing the familiar church tune “Take It To the Lord in Prayer” to counter the Salvation Army bands, and promote the union message in public sing-a-longs.

El Pueblo Unido (Sergio Ortega; arr Searle Friedman and Earle Peach) The marching anthem of Chile's Popular Unity party after Allende.

Fishfinger Song (Leon Rosselson) One of England’s best and wittiest songwriters condemns the assault on nature, and ultimately the human spirit, by crass market forces and militarism.

Gower Wassail (trad; arr Earle Peach) Wassail with a pre-Christian reverance for human connection to nature.

Hallelujah, I’m a Bum (words Harry McLintock) Sung by the Wobblies at their founding convention in Chicago in 1905, to the Christian tune,'Revive Us Again'

Her Name is Jean (Earle Peach)

Hasta Siempre (Carlos Pueblo) It is hard to pass a day in Cuba without hearing a version of this song, a tribute to the legendary Latin American revolutionary, Ernesto “Che” Guevara.

Hold the Fort (Philip P. Bliss) Ninteenth-Century British Transport Workers’ Union Strike Song based on a Christian hymn by Philip Bliss.

Hold Your Ground (James Keelaghan) In other words, don’t give up the fight. A rousing call to militancy from one of Alberta’s and Canada’s finest singer/songwriters.

Homeless Wassail (Ian Robb; arr Earle Peach) A wassail with a distinct message.

I Wish I Knew How (Billy Taylor; arr Earle Peach) Contribution to the American civil rights movement.

Joe Hill (Alfred Hayes & Earl Robinson; arr Earle Peach) Tribute to one of labour's best known leaders.

The Internationale (Eugene Pottier,translated by Charles Kerr, music Pierre Desgeyter; arr Rudolph Lieblich & Earle Peach) The classic international song of resistance, written after the fall of the Paris Commune in 1871.

Oh Little Town of Bethlehem (words: Just Peace UK, Morgan MacGuigan, Stephen Aberle; music Lewis H. Redner; arr Earle Peach).

Man of God (Eliza Gilkyson) A comment on fundamentalist religion and how it’s used to mask the worst greed and justify the greatest atrocities.

Money Crop (Malvina Reynolds) Reynolds has penned many famous songs, including “What Have They Done to the Rain” and the anti-conformist “Little Boxes”. This is her stirring condemnation of war and war profiteers.(arr. Earle Peach)

More Than a Paycheck (Ysaye Barnwell) Workers also bring home disease, injury and job-related stress Ysaye Barnwell is an actor and longtime member of the progressive, gospel style women’s a cappella group, Sweet Honey on the Rock, which first recorded this tune.

N’kosi Sikelele Africa (Enoch Sontonga) This hymn,'God Bless Africa', sung at anti-apartheid demonstrations and marches, is now the national anthem of South Africa.

No One is Illegal (David Rovics).

No Sweat (Bev Grant and Pat Humphries; arr Earle Peach).

O Canada probably our least-requested song

Ode to Peace (Ludwig Van Beethove, Paul Robeson and I.L. Peretz) The famous and inspiring melody which is part of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. The English words were written and sung by Paul Robeson at the second Peace Arch border crossing concert in 1953; the Yiddish verse by a renowned Jewish author and poet.

Oh I Woke Up This MorningAfrican-American spiritual and civil rights song

People All Standing Together a political round by Earle Peach

Political Science (Randy Newman) Classic irony from a master of satiric songwriting, this presents the viewpoint of a US patriot who is ignorant of the world and why it seems to hate his country. Written in 1968 and still very relevant.

Public Workers (music traditional, words by Paul McKenna) One of many fine labour songs written by McKenna, who works for the Service Employees’ International Union. The tune, based on an old hymn, is from the song 'A Miner’s Life'. The words express the aims of public-sector workers organizing.

Put It on the Ground (Ray Glaser & Bill Wolff; arr Earle Peach) Suggestions for compost material.

Roll the Union On (J. Hancox, arr Earle Peach) A labour standard.

The Sandstone Lady (Patrick Foley; arr Earle Peach) Written for the 100th anniversary of the Carnegie Centre, Vancouver.

Sea Never Dry (Malcolm's Interview; arr Earle Peach) A powerful protest song by American labour activists.

Siyahamba Traditional South African Freedom Song.

Solidarity Forever (Ralph Chapin) The classic union anthem.

Song of UnityBeautiful in its simplicity, an unusual addition to our repertoire.

Soon and Very Soon (trad; arr Earle Peach) Traditional gospel song adapted by American labour activists.

Torn Screen Door (David Francey)On mortgages and the plight of Canadian farmers.

Viva La Musica a round by Michael Praetorius

The Walmart Song The Oregon group Citizen Band taught us this song just in time for Vancouver to reject Walmart's developement plans.

The War (Earle Peach) An anti-war song.

We Shall Not Give Up the Fight An African Freedom Song to inspire audience participation.

We Shall Overcome (Pete Seeger, Guy Carawan and others) This gospel-like anthem of the US Civil Rights movement is a true “folk” song, with antecedents in the 19th century and many versions since then. It is sung in many languages for many struggles.

When Tear Gas Fills the Sky (Desert Rat; arr Earle Peach) Written immediately following the WTO Battle in Seattle.

White Collar Holler (Nigel Russell) A clerical workers' song popularized by Stan Rogers).

With My Own Two Hands (Ben Harper; arr Earle Peach) An R&B song.

Wobbly Doxology (arr Earle Peach) AN IWW classic, based on the Protestant Doxology with topical verses written by choir members.

I Woke Up This Morning.

The Wran (arr Earle Peach) A seasonal begging tune, in the line of the wassails, but far more aggressive and demanding.

Ya Meit Massa (Mustapha el Kurd). The Intifada has been one of the few means Palestinians have had to fight injustice. And songs are a key part of the struggle. This is from a renowned Palestinian composer. Its title in English is “A Hundred Good Evenings”.