Well, it occured to me that in my predicament that having the FBI open your mail might come in handy. I sent Sheila, my partner, a letter through the United states mail, and it said 'For God's sake, don't plow up the backyard, that's where the guns are buried.' National Guard rolled up, dug up the whole backyard in time for me to come back and plant the dang thing. Lol.
"Haywire Mac" may have been sharp enough to claim the songwriting credit for this tune, but it's actually an old Christian hymn from the early 19th century ("Revive Us Again" by John J. Husband). The more famous lyrics were undoubtedly made up by some bum in a church soup kitchen, suffering through the required hymn singing before he could get his meal. As we would say today, his version quickly "went viral".
Sang this with my dad, "back when the world was new." Don't know whether he learned it from a recording of "Haywire Mac," the Al Jolson movie or just from the guys he grew up with. The song must have been popular with a lot of different kinds of people, back in the day, because my father wasn't a hobo or a radical, just a vet, hard worker and good provider. I think he just liked a good song!
The work ethic is unethical, in the totalitarian suicide economy. Just quit and become a dead-weight on the system. Do anything to live, without adding to the grotesque overproduction in the US economy.
The work ethic is unethical, it's more ethical to quit and become a moocher. We need to directly confront the cultural belief that somehow, "working" is associated with some entitlement to shares of the "goods and services" of the "economy". Just quit.
@ToddBoyle I couldn't agree more. It's amazing how the word "work" has come to only refer to what you do when you earn profits for a capitalist. If that's what "work" means then I say: hallelujah, I'm a bum!
I've got to laugh at that story Utah starts telling at around the 4:00 mark. I've heard it in another incarnation as a joke on Israel's occupation of Gaza. A father writes to his son being held indefinitely in an Israeli jail that things are going badly. His farm animals died and without his son's help he doesn't know how he'll be able to plow the land for the upcoming planting. The son writes back that his father should avoid plowing the fields because that's where the guns and rockets are...
...hidden. The IDF comes and digs all over the father's land, but goes away empty-handed, and in response to his father's letter telling him all about this, the son writes, "Dear Dad, this was the best I could do from in here."
played this song in a public area, lost some teeth worth it.
lesillmagpie 1 month ago
God i miss him! I met him at Philly folk fest.never forget.What a great man...
johnrechy1 1 month ago
Well, it occured to me that in my predicament that having the FBI open your mail might come in handy. I sent Sheila, my partner, a letter through the United states mail, and it said 'For God's sake, don't plow up the backyard, that's where the guns are buried.' National Guard rolled up, dug up the whole backyard in time for me to come back and plant the dang thing. Lol.
saurosnake 4 months ago 2
Low wage earner in the restaurants, hotel fields? Organize with the I.W.W IU 640 for better wages and conditions!!!
YGK2012 9 months ago 16
ohhhh rest in peace my friend. :D
OpakeArawra2 9 months ago 2
I learned about this song in history when we talked about the IWW's Little Red Song Book
SuperCHANDLER95 1 year ago
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An awesome song. Saw Utah in Boston a little over a year before he died. A wonderful experience.
Union Forever!
Remember Spain!
jencdhs 1 year ago
An awesome song. Saw Utah in Boston a little over a year before he died. A wonderful experience.
Union Forever!
Remember Spain!
jencdhs 1 year ago
hell thats what im doing right now rofl classic joke
ganjaking187 1 year ago
"Haywire Mac" may have been sharp enough to claim the songwriting credit for this tune, but it's actually an old Christian hymn from the early 19th century ("Revive Us Again" by John J. Husband). The more famous lyrics were undoubtedly made up by some bum in a church soup kitchen, suffering through the required hymn singing before he could get his meal. As we would say today, his version quickly "went viral".
RIP Utah Phillips, you were one of the best.
JoeRailfan 1 year ago
This is such a great song. It really warms my soul.
truefakeness 1 year ago
Sang this with my dad, "back when the world was new." Don't know whether he learned it from a recording of "Haywire Mac," the Al Jolson movie or just from the guys he grew up with. The song must have been popular with a lot of different kinds of people, back in the day, because my father wasn't a hobo or a radical, just a vet, hard worker and good provider. I think he just liked a good song!
McGrenzer 1 year ago
The work ethic is unethical, in the totalitarian suicide economy. Just quit and become a dead-weight on the system. Do anything to live, without adding to the grotesque overproduction in the US economy.
The work ethic is unethical, it's more ethical to quit and become a moocher. We need to directly confront the cultural belief that somehow, "working" is associated with some entitlement to shares of the "goods and services" of the "economy". Just quit.
ToddBoyle 1 year ago 3
@ToddBoyle I couldn't agree more. It's amazing how the word "work" has come to only refer to what you do when you earn profits for a capitalist. If that's what "work" means then I say: hallelujah, I'm a bum!
truefakeness 1 year ago
@ToddBoyle what?
moshpiler 1 year ago
I've got to laugh at that story Utah starts telling at around the 4:00 mark. I've heard it in another incarnation as a joke on Israel's occupation of Gaza. A father writes to his son being held indefinitely in an Israeli jail that things are going badly. His farm animals died and without his son's help he doesn't know how he'll be able to plow the land for the upcoming planting. The son writes back that his father should avoid plowing the fields because that's where the guns and rockets are...
Nullifidian 1 year ago 10
...hidden. The IDF comes and digs all over the father's land, but goes away empty-handed, and in response to his father's letter telling him all about this, the son writes, "Dear Dad, this was the best I could do from in here."
Nullifidian 1 year ago 2
This is a great song!
steamsoldier 1 year ago
This song was play by the volunteers of the A.Lincoln International Brigade in Spain 1936/39 !
ganlesat 2 years ago 20
@ganlesat
No passaran!
asubjectiveopinion 1 year ago
@ganlesat They may have won the war, but we had all the good songs.
Mullahgrrl 2 months ago