The Washington Squares - Which Side Are You On?

Recorded in Philadelphia in 1985. Introduced by Philadelphia Folk Fest founder DJ Gene Shay; Lauren Agnelli, Tom Goodkind, Bruce Paskow with percussionist Jeff Berman perform this great union song. Written by Florence Reece in 1931 for the the National Miner's Union in Harlan County, Kentucky, in 1931 the miners of that region were locked in a bitter and violent struggle with the mine owners. In an attempt to intimidate the the song write's family, deputies hired by the mining company illegally entered and searched the her home. Her father had been warned in advance and escaped, but the song writer, her brothers and sisters were terrorized in his place. That night, after the men had gone, she wrote the lyrics to "Which Side Are You On?" on a calendar that hung in the kitchen of her home. She took the melody from a traditional Baptist hymn, 'Lay the Lily Low."
Tom's banjo, a Vega longneck, was given to him by Dave Guard, founding leader of the Kingston Trio. It is the very one used by Dave during the folk revival of the late '50s of early '60s.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Washington
• Squares
• Tom
• Goodkind
• Lauren
• Agnelli
• Bruce
• Paskow
• Alternative
• Folk
• Gene
• Shay

[dennisgault]

Great Video!

[cvte2]

thanks for posting this. I love this group and have their albums! They were AWESOME!

[Ninyae1]

Wonderful! Dirty Black Leg Miner sentiment!