~Angry Tired Teachers~ Teacher Strike Blues

"Teacher Strike Blues" written and sung by Andrew Kong Knight, of the Angry Tired Teachers. (Angry Tired Teachers are a rock band made up of teachers from the San Francisco Bay Area.)

Knight wrote the song during the midst of the recent Hayward Unified School District teachers strike. This original song is featured on the Angry Tired Teachers album "Stickin' it to the Man.

This video shows clips from the recent Hayward Unified School District teachers strike, featuring the Angry Tired Teachers on their "Stickin' it to the Man Strike Tour" of Hayward Schools. The band "toured" various schools and rallies across the city of Hayward on the back of a flat bed truck.

This up-tempo protest rocker "Teacher Strike Blues" became a crowd favorite with it's infectious chorus. The teacher strikers and protesters joined in on vocal shouts of, "Strike, Strike!" and "Fight, Fight!" during the performances of this song.

The Hayward Schools strike also featured a speech by Dolores Huerta, co-founder and First Vice President Emeritus of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO (UFW).

Music Video edited and produced by
Last Minute Films/Nathaniel Hyman © 2008
Additional editing by Andrew Kong Knight © 2009

Musicians featured in video:

Andrew Kong Knight ~ Vocals & Guitar
Bryan Holbrook ~ Sax & Vocals
Kevin McNair ~ Drums
Karen Horner ~ Bass
Tony Hampton ~ Guitar
Rick Wolter ~ Bass
Issac Soto ~ Guitar & Vocals
Rob Norris ~ Bass
Bill Foreman ~ Drums


Song Recording Credits:

Lead Vocal, guitar, backing Vocals and percussion:
Andrew Kong Knight

Guitar: Jim King

Bass: Karen Horner

Drums: Kevin McNair


Producing, Mastering and Music Editing By
Bill Williams/Bill Williams Productions, Hayward, CA

Recording: Jim King's home studio Livermore, CA
Strange Ranch Secret Headquarters, Tassajara, CA




Teacher Strike Blues Lyrics:

Verse 1:
Teaching school you'll never become rich
District don't have the money, that's their pitch
So, how come they give themselves high raises
When they can't provide us with fair wages?

Chorus:
(It's got me) Singin' the teacher blues
Singin' the teacher Blues, Oh!

Verse 2:
I'm forced to walk out, close up my classroom door
Children, parents caught between our war
My students will have the most to lose
As I cry these blues

Chorus:
(Got me) Singin' the teacher blues
Singin' the teacher Blues, Oh!

Bridge:
I could go to another district in some white collar town
But I'm going to stay and fight these District clowns
'Cause I love my students and they need me here
To stand for what's right, what's fair

Chorus:
(It's got me) Singin' the teacher blues (Strike, Strike)
Singin' the teacher Blues (Fight, Fight)

Singin' the teacher blues, Oh!


*****

Original music and words by Andrew Kong Knight © 2008


*****

Angry Tired Teachers Official Web Site:

http://www.andrewkongknight.com/att/m...


Link to CD's:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/atteachers


*****

Teacher Strike Blues is dedicated to students, teachers, parents & workers worldwide.

Thank you Supporters. In solidarity. Love and
Peace to you. ~ Angry Tired Teachers


****

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Teachers
• Strike
• Fair
• contract
• social
• economic
• justice
• labor
• Wages
• workers
• Rights
• teaching
• education
• union
• rally
• protest
• protesters
• NEA
• CTA
• HEA
• Song
• public
• school
• music
• video
• rock
• Angry
• Tired
• Andrew
• Kong
• Knight
• Dolores
• Huerta
• UFW
• Democratic
• nonprofit
• activist
• Teacher
• blue
• collar
• classroom
• parents
• walk
• out
• cost
• of
• living
• raise
• Hayward
• Unified
• money
• news
• politics
• solidarity

[ciresband]

very niiice!!

[wyrotubia]

Everyone knows our teachers are getting a bum deal. It's amazing how you guys can put your take on it with such passion, humor and creativity! Thanks to teachers everywhere!

[123quinterra]

Cool Video!! Angry Tired Teachers RULE! A great rockin' tune about the plight of teachers throughout the world!

[MartinRaetzJr]

Great! I love it. Best regards from Germany.

[MartinRaetzJr]

Teachers also pay tax.

[kanesloane]

BTW: If you're so hard up for money Mr. Guns & God, why do you waste your time writing ill informed, negative comments on YouTube about hard working, talented and dedicated teachers?

PS Did you notice it's spelled "waste" and not "waist?" Thanks for providing everyone a perfect example of why we need to fund education!

[kanesloane]

Dear Mr. Guns n' God,

This video was not funded by any tax payer dollars. Why did you think it was?

It was backed by two things: passion and love for the profession. A non-profit video made by a working class band, educating our youth, our future in one of the lowest paid, low income school districts in the bay area.

Sincerely,

Kane Sloane

[Icling2gunsnGod]

Thank God Props. 1a - 1e went down in flames. No more tax dollars for teacher's union bums who think it's more important to waist taxpayer's time and money making stupid YouTube videos than actually teaching our kids. I've had to cut back and do with less because of less income and the bad economy and if I can do it the greedy malcontents doing this video can also.