Contributed by Jonny Collins
Well, it took us a while, but finally, in August of 2022 things are starting to look up. Brexit’s finally working in our favour, our new Prime Minister will probably have some great ideas about how to shake things up and set us on an upwards trend back to some sort of normality, and there is no longer a massive discrepancy between costs of energy, groceries and essential services and the average income of British households.
Oh wait, sorry, I was looking at the wrong reality. Things are bad. Really bad.
You don’t need me to tell you this. I’d tell you to look out of the window – but frankly you don’t even need to look that far to see us reaching a new peak of how terrible things can get under Tory rule, corruption, indifference and greed.
I have an income that just 3 years ago would’ve seemed to me like an inhuman amount of money. Hell, in 2019 – if you were earning enough to even begin to pay back student loans, I was very much including you in the “Eat the Rich” category. But now it’s barely distinguishable from the experiences I had living on the poverty line for years.
Despite that, I’m one of the lucky ones. The place I work has a solid Union relationship, which ensures that incomes rise at least to a point where we’re not facing a real terms pay cut with inflation. Many places seem to be fighting a lot harder for a lot less – and I think anyone who’s been paying attention these last couple of months has had an insight into the reasons for the existence of unions, and the consequences where these forces don’t act.
The rail strikes are the biggest ones at the moments. Wherever you live in the country, you’ve probably noticed a gradual decline in rail service over the past few years. This is due to layoffs, pay freezes or below inflation raising, and general capitalist cutting corners. You’ve probably noticed several trains being cancelled due to lack of staff. You might’ve thought this was a symptom of Covid, fewer workers having to take more time off and harder to recruit new ones. But no – lay offs were a deliberate strategy by rail companies to protect profits and keep shareholders happy.
The service has suffered, in short, because of capitalist greed and the failures of a privately owned public transport system.
Generally, whenever teachers, drivers, posties, or whoever strike – the general mood of people seems to be “I don’t know why they’re doing that, we’re all paid miserably too, deal with it.” But either my echo chamber has gotten so isolated now, or people are slowly realizing “Oh shit, yeah maybe that’s a good idea.”
It’s the first time in my recent memory that industrial action in this country has been met with… if not solidarity then certainly more support than I’ve ever seen before. And with more strikes coming up, including talks of a general strike – we might actually force the government to do something about the shit show that is our country.
So, this playlist is here in solidarity with the striking rail staff, posties, nurses, and anyone else who’s been fucked by the Tories to the breaking point. A celebration of victories achieved by industrial action.
Remembrance of lives lost in the pursuit of these goals. And a reminder that no matter how much they try to convince you otherwise, it is the workers who make countries thrive, and workers who are needed by the rich, not the other way around.
1: Seize The Day – Alan Menken & Newsies Original Broadway Cast
“Now is the time to seize the day
They’re gonna see there’s hell to pay
Nothing can break us
No one can make us quit before we’re done”
Kicking off this playlist we have this classic from Newsies. I haven’t seen the film or the live musical yet, but just from this track I can tell I’m missing out.
First off it was worked on by Alan Menken , who made like half of the best soundtracks from Disney’s renaissance in the 90s, not to mention one of my favourite musicals of all time “Little Shop of Horrors.” Alan is an expert in telling stories and showing character through music, and the fact that he’s behind probably one of the most overtly socialist musicals of all time (certainly of its time) makes it a must have for all the queer communists we appeal to.
The story is based off of the 1899 Newsboys strike in New York city – and this song is an inspiring call to action to stand together for their rights, work with and for workers across the industry to get out of what was basically a pyramid scheme where Newsboys had to buy papers to deliver and sell, and therefore risk operating at a loss if they couldn’t sell enough.
It’s impossible to listen to this song without feeling empowered to tell your boss to fuck off and dismantle capitalism, so what better way than to start this list.
2: Talking Union – The Almanac Singers
“It ain’t quite this simple, so I better explain
Just why you got to ride on the union train
‘Cause if you wait for the boss to raise your pay
We’ll all be a-waitin’ ’til Judgment Day“
There’s a lot of classics on this list. Quite a lot of Union and protest songs are old folkies that have been covered hundreds of times, so some of these the bands we’ve gone for is kind of arbitrary based on who came up on a google search first. This one as far as I can tell is the original – or at least the original band if not the original recording. Coming from The Almanac Singers, whose alum includes Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, huge players in protest music of the era.
This song is a fairly pleasant and low-key tune with a more spoken word delivery rather than singing – and it’s essentially a step by step guide on how to form/join a union and how to actively use the union to fight against oppression of workers. Not quite as much of a certified banger as the first track on this list, but still a very important song in the history of union songs, and a cause of reflection on how much yet how little has changed since this song’s inception in the 1940s – and what we can do about it.
3: Keep On Keeping On – Redskins
“The bosses make us pay for their crisis
They blame us for daring to challenge things
Keep on keepin’ on now
Keep fighting daring yeah yeah yeah”
Another playlist, another disclaimer that the British Punk band known as the Redskins, whilst uncomfortable out of context, was a commonly used slang term for Marxist skinheads in the UK (red being the labour colours). It’s an unfortunate fact in hindsight as it implies something very different in the US and further afield. We could probably do with a better name, but this is an older band now, what are you going to do?
And besides, Redskins were incredibly proactive over their career, and had a number of appropriate songs for this playlist. I chose this one…well, actually just because it’s the first one I clicked on – but it’s by no means the only song of theirs that belongs here.
Redskins sonically emit a kind of early Ska-Punk sound, featuring brass instruments, upbeat tones, but unashamedly political lyrical content and simple song structures and riffs.
One of the bouncier songs on this playlist, which is a trope that I find works really well with protest music. It makes you wanna dance, it makes you want to sing along, and all while empowering you to act and, when listening in a group, makes you feel connected to everyone enjoying the music with you.
Music, and I think particularly this kind of upbeat punk rock in a live setting is always incredible to experience as a collective, and it’s one of the main reasons I love going to see live music. Not only do I get to see artists I admire recreate and deliver their works in a live setting, but I get to feel as one with everyone else who’s bonded with the music with me.
Applying this to Unions is a no brainer – and makes music an incredible tool to unite people with a common goal, and this track is a perfect embodiment of that.
4: Union Town – Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman
“This is a union town, a union town
All down the line
And if you come to strip our rights away
We’ll give you hell every time”
Did you know Tom Morello is a Union guy? It shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise given the content of Rage Against The Machine lyrics.
But far from being just a lyrical theme, Tom Morello is a firm believer in the power of a union, industrial action and worker solidarity. So much so that in the early 2000s, once his tenure with Audioslave, kicked off and the music became less political, he started a solo project entitled “Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman” who released almost exclusively political folk rock songs, including an EP called Union town, full of pro-union songs both original and covers.
I went with the titular track as it felt a shame to waste this interesting project by including (admittedly very well done) covers of tracks that have been done 100s of times by a variety of other great artists.
If you’ve listened to any of Tom Morello’s work either solo or in bands, you might be a bit taken aback by how little this sounds like Tom Morello – a guitarist with a very distinct style that makes him shine whatever context he’s playing in.
As the Nightwatchman, he takes a much more folky and classic rock approach which actually works really well. This more folky style works for his voice as well. He’s not a bad singer by any means, but definitely not as powerful as the vocalists he usually works with. In this context he does just sound like a guy with a guitar sitting in a bar starting a singalong at open mic night and getting everyone to clap and sing along. (And I mean that in the best way).
A great song all around, and a nice little discovery for me researching this, as I had no idea this project existed.
5: Solidarity – Angelic Upstarts
“The tyrant has no smile upon his face
‘Cause he knows that in his mind he’s in disgrace
Remission of you will take his breath away
Until we come, and we will have our day”
I have 22 songs to get through, so I’m not going to go on and on for every one. Suffice to say this song is all about, you guessed it, solidarity. In this context, with Polish workers striking – and offering unity and support to fellow workers, which is always a nice sentiment. In fact, this isn’t even the only song with this title on this list, so more on that later.
Fucking great tune either way.
6: Pound A Week Rise – Siobhan Miller
“So come all you colliers, take heed what I say
Don’t believe Lord Robens when he said he’ll give fair pay
He’ll tell you to work hard and make the output rise
You’ll get pie in the sky instead of a pound a week rise”
Another simple message beautifully told – Pound a Week rise is all about wage stagnation, with the constant pushback from bosses that if workers want to earn more, they need to work harder – when in actuality the goalposts are always moving, and without organized action that pay rise will never happen.
This hits hard at the moment when due to over a decade of economic ruination from three Tory Prime Ministers, and no real terms wage increases for the vast majority of public and private sector jobs, especially entry level, and the fact that it’s still these people who are told that we need to budget better, work harder, or have some perspective – everyone is struggling, it’s tough, you just need to get on with it.
…While energy companies are scoring record profits after a 250% increase in energy costs for most households.
This isn’t a case where energy companies have to account for an increase in the raw cost of providing the service and unfortunately that means bills have to go up for everyone. No – it’s a case of raw costs are going up – and these companies are using it as an opportunity to nearly triple their growth just by upping the price point.
The horrible thing is, it’s likely that many of the lower paid employees at this company, themselves will be struggling to pay for their own bills, because they definitely won’t see a penny of this profit. In fact, without even researching it, I can safely guess many of them have laid staff off or stunted wage increases. ~ googles ~15k layoffs in 2021 from top companies – an increase. 2022 figures aren’t here yet but stay tuned folks.
So yeah, this song rings very true right now.
7: 1915 – Anti Flag
“If the workers take a notion
They can stop all speeding trains
Every ship upon the oceans
They can tie with mighty chains
Every wheel in the creation
Every mine and every mill
Fleets and armies of all nations
Will at our command stand still”
The first Anti-Flag album I heard was entitled “The General Strike” and as such, it was an immediate contender for this playlist, as if there’s anything we need right now it’s one of them.
I went with “1915” in the end, as a tribute and story labour activist Joe Hill, who was executed for alleged murder in the titular year. (It’s concluded that he was probably innocent of this crime, but of course we can never know for sure.)
Joe is an inspirational figure in labour movements as a result of his activism – and this song actually uses some of his quotes to spread his message. Not only is this song a standard anti-flag anthem that’s as catchy as it is inspiring – it’s educational too, look at that. The above quote ends the song and is an important message through the ages.
8: Solidarity – Enter Shikari
“We will sing as one in solidarity
We will swim together
No longer treading water
We’re flowing with the tide”
Our second “Solidarity”, this Enter Shikari song is a little bit of a stretch, but I try to keep these songs varied – and there are few bands who sound quite like Enter Shikari.
Not specifically about unions or industrial action, this song is about Solidarity as a concept, non-specific accomplishments that can be achieved through solidarity and unity. But as I say the concept of solidarity is such a key part of union success, that I think this song is justified being here.
Also it fucking slaps, don’t @ me.
9: Grass Will Overcome – Joe Driscoll
“Chains, we brake em
names, we take em
turn em back to local
and encompass the total”
I can’t find a lot of information about this song online, but the artist seems fascinating. Not just an activist, Joe Driscoll is actually a politician – specifically a district councillor (I can’t find much information on what he stands for other than that he’s a Democrat, and that this song definitely implies he’s on the side of unions – so if someone in his constituency has any insight on whether he’s trash or not I’d be interested to know) and also a rapper.
Grass Will Overcome is a very interesting sounding song, featuring a skilled flow, lyrics dripping with political insight, and a message about how we as the foundation will grow and overcome the oppressors.
Solid tune – hopefully I haven’t promoted a trash fire, but so far evidence is inconclusive, so I’ll get back to you on that.
10: Hold The Line – Tom Morello feat. Grandson
“They wanna tell you “You’re already free”
Put these chains on and rob you blind
When they co-op the movement
Don’t trip, just hold the line, hold the line”
This is definitely bending my rule of not having more than one song from the same artist – but technically according to streaming sites, “Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman” is a separate artist from “Tom Morello” so while it’s the same person, I’m going to go with them being two very distinct projects. It helps that stuff released under the name “Tom Morello” is much more in line with his work on Rage, Audioslave and Prophets of Rage, and therefore very distinct from the folk rock of The Nightwatchman.
Hold The Line also has a feature credit from grandson who provides the vocals on what is one of the more recent tracks on this playlist from 2021. This song has a really satisfying groove, as you’d expect from Tom Morello, but grandson manages to stick out as well, with vocals that come close to matching Zack De La Rocha in the early RATM days, but distinctly modern regardless.
Thematically this song is nothing we haven’t already covered, but delivers the messages of recognising your oppression and in particular the tactics the powerful use to hide that from you – and providing a strong willpower to “Hold The Line” and not to give up and settle for anything less than liberation.
11: Protestin’ – Andy B & The World
“So I’ll meet you on the front line
at the designated time
in solidarity we’ll stand
and we’ll take back what’s yours and mine”
To avoid keeping this list too samey I have opted for some tenuously related tracks – including this Andy B & The World track.
Andy B & The World is less of a band as it is one of the most ambitious collaboration projects in the whole of punk rock, featuring 172 musicians from all over the world from the genres of Punk, Ska, Folk and more – so no two songs sound the same, but there is a coherence and consistency that is impressive given the sheer scale of the project.
Protestin’ as a track isn’t the most complex lyrically – kind of like Talking Union in that aspect, it’s more a very simplified description of how to use tools of protest and solidarity to bring about change – but in a much bouncier and more melodic way.
While this isn’t specifically a Union song, it relates enough to industrial action that I think it feels at home here, if nothing else it’s a break from all the fairly straightforward folk that dominates this topic in music.
12: Talkin’ Bout A Revolution – Tracy Chapman
“Poor people gonna rise up
And get their share
Poor people gonna rise up
And take what’s theirs”
Another tenuous one, Tracy Chapman’s Sophomore single might not be quite as fondly remembered as “Fast Car” – but if your second single isn’t quite as good as one of the best singles ever made that’s nothing to be ashamed about.
I actually prefer this one on a personal level. I love the soulful, bluesy, stripped back sound, and Tracy Chapman’s vocals soar over and compliment the instrumentals in a way that few singer songwriters can manage.
Once again this song doesn’t directly talk about union action, but it is about poor people revolting against oppressive regimes, which is applicable to everything from industrial action to proletariat overthrowing a monarch or dictator. Apart from the scale, these acts aren’t so different – and we’re generally in favour of both here, so that’s why this is here.
13: Dunnes Stores – Christy Moore
“Well, her friends are all behind her and the union gave support
And they called a strike and the pickets brought all
Dunnes’ Stores to a halt”
Irish Folk and Irish Punk are two genres that absolutely dominate this theme in music, so it would be amiss not to include any. Dunnes Stores is about, well, the Dunnes Stores strikes. This was less a strike for working conditions specifically, and more the ethics of the company itself – as a worker was suspended for refusing to handle produce from South Africa, in protest of the Apartheid regime. This was a Union stance, and because of that action was swift and determined, and eventually succeeded when the government of the time banned the import of South African goods.
This is a lovely tale of worker solidarity and intersectionality where workers banded together for a cause bigger than themselves and succeeded – and just goes to show what can be achieved with Union support, power and tactics.
14: Which Side Are You On – Dropkick Murphys
“Don’t scab for the bosses, don’t listen to their lies
Us poor folks haven’t got a chance unless we organize”
It feels a bit of a shame to give Dropkick Murphys a cover given how many original songs they have that would’ve been suitable here, but both this song and this band are icons in Union music – and if I was going to include any version of this song this is in my opinion one of if not the best version.
Dropkick Murphys are only a band I’ve very recently appreciated – having been a fan of Flogging Molly for ages but not really expanded my Celtic Punk knowledge beyond that. Dropkick Murphys are probably even bigger than Flogging Molly, so god knows how I went so long without listening to them. They also have a bit more of an edge, which is never a bad thing in punk in my books. While I’d sooner dance to Flogging Molly, I’d sooner punch a capitalist boss in the face to Dropkick Murphys. Both bands have their place in an anti-capitalist utopia.
Which Side Are You On asks that very simple question – and serves as a blunt reminder that worker solidarity is essential for success – and we need to reflect on ourselves if we ever find ourselves at odds with unions who represent our interests because of media representation. It’s not that Unions can never get things wrong – but if the Unions are at odds with organizations – there is a 0% chance that the Organization bosses have your interests at heart. If you don’t side with either, you side with them by default, and that will do more harm to yourself in the long run.
15: All Out – Public Service Broadcasting
“If you look at the benefits of ordinary working people
All the things they’ve achieved in life, is through conflict and strikes
I don’t think there ever be a day in life, when ordinary people can say, ‘I never have to go on strike again’”
I adore this track. It has an almost Black Metal inspired guitar progression to it – albeit with much cleaner production. The ambience and impending drop of this song’s instrumental makes you feel like you’re about to crack in an action movie and kill every cop who’s ever been complicit in worker suppression for the benefit of corporate interests single handed.
What really makes this song is the sampling, however. Sprinkled on top of this masterful instrumentation are audio snippets from striking miners in Wales during one of the biggest strikes in recent memory. Hearing those bitter, disgusted and determined voices commenting on the reasons for striking, the history of industrial action, and my personal favourite line right at the end. Hearing an ordinary working class Welsh woman say in a calm but blunt tone: “What you see on the telly is nothing, what you read in the papers is nothing. I was brought up to respect police; I don’t respect them now” is one of the most powerful things I’ve ever heard – and it complimented the heavy ass musical drop to round off the song.
If you want a piece of art that fully captures the mood and hardships of the minors strikes – this is it. Harrowing, yet inspiring.
16: Wretches & Kings – Linkin Park
“When the operation of the machine becomes so odious
Makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part
You can’t even passively take part
And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels
Upon the levers, upon all the apparatus
And you’ve got to make it stop
And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it
That unless you’re free
The machine will be prevented from working at all”
A Thousand Suns is an under appreciated record from the Nu Metal titans that are Linkin Park. In fact, calling them that is disingenuous. Far from being a Nu Metal band, Linkin Park basically defined alternative music for the decade and a half that they were active. Early 00s Nu Metal – they were the best. Emo/Alt Rock of the late 2000s? Linkin Park set a new standard. Alternative/Art pop of the mid/late 2010s? Just perfection.
This was from their early 2010s era where they were really leaning into the electronic elements, whilst also reviving their early Nu Metal sound – and what you get is this masterclass of political alternative music – pulling inspiration from everyone from Public Enemy, to late 00s Drum and Bass, to 60s political activists, and to their own back catalogue.
It’s probably fair to say this song is their most political to date – and to pull that off in the middle of a concept album set in a fictional world yet make it so applicable to real life is the mark of an excellent composition.
17: Last Day Of The Miner’s Strike – Pulp
“Kids are spitting on the Town Hall steps and frightening old ladies
I dreamt that I was living back in the mid 1980s
People marching, people shouting, people wearing pastel leather
The future’s ours for the taking now, if we just stick together”
Obviously Pulp are on here, what do you take me for. Look at the title. Do I need to explain myself? Pulp are the answer to the age old question “Blur or Oasis?”.
Blur are fine – Oasis are awful, but Pulp are miles ahead of them both.
This song is fairly self-explanatory and covers all the main beats needed – Solidarity, historical throwbacks, depictions of strike action. I rest my case.
18: Solidarity Forever – Pete Seeger
“In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold
Greater than the might of armies, magnified a thousand-fold
We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old
For the union makes us strong”
This song makes me well up with emotion, and specifically solidarity. An all time classic performed by one of the all time greats Pete Seeger.
My main emotional attachment to this song is through the film “Pride”, which was my first real insight into the miner’s strikes and industrial action in general. I always knew what strikes were, but never why they happened or what they were like for the people doing them – who, contrary to what the media tries to claim, aren’t trying to fuck over other working people – but instead deliver an unignorable message to the government and big corporations that they need us, we don’t need them. Hey I should’ve put that Ed Sheeran song on – Comrade Sheeran knows what’s up. (I don’t know anything about his politics, don’t correct me, I don’t actually think that song has anything to do with this – all I’m saying is it would be better if it was and wouldn’t need much re-working.)
19: Part Of The Union – Strawbs
“Before the union did appear
My life was half as clear
Now I’ve got the power to the working hour
And every other day of the year”
I don’t know anything about this band, but this song is a great, early 70s pop-rock track about how Unions empower workers and how they are devoted to the cause to do the same for other workers and themselves.
I know the 70s is like 50 years ago now, but I still think thing song sounds like it could’ve came out at least another 25 years beforehand if it wasn’t for the distinctly 70s rock sound and production. A true timeless piece.
20: Bread And Roses – Judy Collins
“As we go marching, marching
Unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing
Their ancient call for bread
Small art and love and beauty
Their drudging spirits knew
Yes, it is bread we fight for
But we fight for roses too”
My partner tells me that this song brings them to tears because of a clip I sadly can’t find of Jeremy Corbyn singing along to this song – and even the description makes me feel the same. I’ve had my criticisms of him in the past, and I’m sure in an alternate world where he won the 2019 or indeed 2017 elections, I would have my criticisms of his government. But what I can say without a shadow of the doubt is that I would never feel for a second that he didn’t care.
Politicians are universally seen as rich old elites who do the bare minimum to keep us from overthrowing them whilst taking just enough to keep us from thriving. For all his flaws, Corbyn was a man who genuinely cared about the people of this country, whether they were Labour voters or not, and would have put his all into setting us on the right path and helping ordinary people thrive. We were so close to having this be a reality.
But we were hoodwinked by our soon to be ex Prime Minister for purely career reasons, ruining the few public services we had left for the sake of personal power and profit. And I can’t tell you how angry it makes me that when Boris finally goes, he won’t face any repercussions for the numerous laws and ethics he’s broken, the lives he cut short through his policies, and will likely thrive financially long after his death.
To this day I will never understand why the public were so easily turned against a man who actively challenged the status quo, and have the audacity to bitch that all politicians are just as bad as each other now. They aren’t – and they definitely weren’t at the time. Sigh.
21: Mutual Aid – Faintest Idea
“We are the many and they are the few”
This is a Blizzard staple – and is on here purely for the repeated refrain of “We are the many and they are the few” which is applicable to almost any situation I feel. Certainly to strikes and standing up to the 1%. A Bugs Life told us that the little guys have more power than the oppressors do if they only realize, unite and harness it. I think that’s a great idea tbh.
22: There Is Power In A Union – Billy Bragg
“There is power in a factory, power in the land
Power in the hand of the worker
But it all amounts to nothing
If together we don’t stand
There is power in a Union”
And finally – another track that brings me to tears because of the film “Pride” – and the first Billy Bragg recording I ever heard. Once again Bragg had several original tracks that would’ve worked here, but his version of Power in a Union is so fucking good, and the reason this playlist exists and is titled the way it is.
If this song doesn’t bring you to tears or at least encourage you to stand with your fellow workers and shit through Tories’ letterboxes, then I don’t think you’re human.
And there it is, 22 songs, 1 hour and 17 minutes of union tunes for you to enjoy. You can listen to these on
- Deezer: https://deezer.page.link/w9BJT6kndDSJPd7a7
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3oNyLGBm0SZDGQHkLEAoox?si=687e20b631fe4bb2
- Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/dd0c8f5f-d3bb-4bfd-bd15-11701b382536
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGv_OFvoeqQtSwy2sTC8PhEK9nD6VS9P9
And why not use these to pump yourselves up for our next livestream on the 29th of August with Team Captains: Ed Roworth & Quenby Harley, and guests: Ian Lane, Mabel Slattery, Kieran Lawless & Umby Winters on twitch.tv/blizzardcomedy for some topical comedy and deconstruction of the news of this past month.
And while you’re doing that, why not book tickets to our next live show in Manchester with the incredible Sam Lake, guest MC Katie Mitchell, Kieran Lawless, Dan McKee and Justina Seselskaite on the 12th of September at Gulliver’s NQ – via Outsavvy: www.outsavvy.com/event/10026/blizzard-comedy-live-featuring-sam-lake
