The Preacher and the Slave

This is the way I play Joe Hill's most famous song.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• folk
• guitar
• joe
• hill
• acoustic
• preacher
• slave
• IWW
• wobblies
• 1911
• protest
• songs

[porkinwitz]

hmmmm,....? i just found your channel today and watch a few of your videos. pretty good stuff. but i did notice that in this one you're playing left handed or, most likely you did a flip tick or something with the video.

[Jcronk]

Yes, I had my webcam set wrong at first. Thanks for watching!

[Additivesfree]

That's a beautiful song mate. Well performed, you're a good singer to. Could you perhaps send me the song so I could learn to play it myself?

[Jcronk]

I think I found the words on mudcat and figured out the chords based on the tune. It's all in G, though - G, C, and D are the chords. I play it a lot more bluegrassy than I did back when I recorded this. I was just watching the video, and I see that you can't see my fingers, but if you like, I'll record it again with a better camera (if I can figure out where I put it).

[SusanIP]

The song was a parody of the hymn "Sweet Bye and Bye" by the IWW. He is playing it exactly as it should be played. This is a fantastic version of this song and I strongly recommend it.

[Ambidexter143]

Christianity was the ideal religion for a society of slaves must have been the biggest "head thunking" moment of all times for Emperor Constantine of Roman. "Wow! This religion makes people sheepishly put up with working all day for peanuts and never rebelling against rich bastards who take advantage of them? And all for a promise of a better time in an after-life, which they believe in without any proof?! What were we thinking outlawing this all these years? It's a gold mine!"

[hannable1975]

Good version, nicely done.

[ageeworth]

Had to look up "pie in the sky" tonight, find out where the phrase originated -- Joe Hill! The Wobblies! We need some understanding of the importance of organizing, the need for a counterweight against the power of capital, some representation for the working person. The new individualism leaves us all potential slaves. Thanks for singing the anthem.

[ageeworth]

Had to look up "pie in the sky" tonight, find out where the phrase originated -- Joe Hill! The Wobblies! We need some understanding of the importance of organizing, the need for a counterweight against the power of capital, some representation for the working person. The new individualism leaves us all potential slaves.

[stevetowson]

nice version mate

[rimef]

Very nice, i like the way how you are playing and love your voice.

Thanke you!

Fabi.

[AgaricusM]

Excellent - though another microphone for his voice would have been even better. Great performance of a seminal song. Five stars.

[AgaricusM]

Great singing and playing - but I wish there had been an extra microphone for his voice - the volume of the guitar overwhelms it slightly. He has a good voice, and the Joe Hill lyrics are great. I may sound like I'm nitpicking, but I'm not. I gave it 5 stars.

[fredbuck]

Now I've watched over 10 versions of this song tonight on Youtube and this is by far the best.

Thanks very much for showing how it can be.

[spiritwind67]

Great work! Thanks for posting this.