Long haired preacher

Subject: Long haired preachers
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Mar 17 - 10:08 PM

In Joe Hill's Preacher and the slave, who are these long haired folks and why do they have long hair? Why is it important enough to mention? My son asked, I had no answer.

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: Mark Ross
Date: 24 Mar 17 - 09:39 AM

Those who had money could afford to bathe more often than working stiffs, therefore they could keep long hair cleaner than those who kept their hair shorter. Preachers, and others of the non-productive classes, were always telling those who were not as fortunate that if they were good compliant wage slaves they would go to some non-existent heaven when they passed over. The IWW, of which Joe was a member, felt that energy could be better spent fighting for a fair share of the pie here on Earth.

Mark Ross (IWW member since 1971)

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: GUEST,NormanD
Date: 24 Mar 17 - 10:10 AM

And that's no lie!

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Mar 17 - 07:51 PM

It does seem that in the early 20th century, the Ruling Class was able to afford to have long hair, and the Working Class had to have short hair to avoid bedbugs and other hazards. But can we find some documentation of this?
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 24 Mar 17 - 09:12 PM

I doubt it. Shaving a person's head is still considered a form of shaming in America. Law enforcement agencies have only recently lost the ability to subject inmates to it under the guise of the above thinking.

Working folks ain't all that dirty compared to the rich ones. The former keep theirs short mostly because a ponytail will get you scalped in a heartbeat around machinery.

It was certainly a beef between religions.

The Salvation (Starvation) Army is a Methodist entity. Older, more conservative North American churches looked at John Wesley & Robert Strawbridge as elite sinners for shaving their beards and letting the topknots go.

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 24 Mar 17 - 09:35 PM

http://www.musicanet.org/robokopp/usa/longhair.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_McClintock

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Preacher_and_the_Slave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19JlRFdQifk

Thomas.

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 25 Mar 17 - 03:41 AM

The Wordsworth Dictionary of Dreams asserts that to dream of seeing a long haired preacher "denotes that you are shortly to have disputes with overbearing and egotistical people." The dictionary first appeared in 1909, around the time the song was written.

LFF

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Mar 17 - 02:24 AM

Phil says: Shaving a person's head is still considered a form of shaming in America.

Here in California, shaved heads are in style for law enforcement officers. I was surprised, however, to see that both my county's District Attorney and Assistant District Attorney have shaved heads.

I have been heard to express the suspicion that this phenomenon has psychosexual implications.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Mar 17 - 03:30 AM

I think a lot of men who have problems with partial baldness shave their heads because, ironically, the total baldness conceals the partial baldness. Going for broke, as it were.

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 26 Mar 17 - 03:45 AM

Joe: That's kind of popular in law enforcement everywhere now isn't it? Hides the male pattern baldness and the lens flare is murder on those pesky civilian cell phone cameras.

I really can't see the 'long hair' verse working down the street at the Catholic or Pentecostal missions. They all look like librarians.

Subject: RE: Long haired preacher
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Mar 17 - 04:38 AM

Hush your mouth, Phil - us ex-librarians take offence real bad... :-)