09 Oct 08 - 12:13 PM (#2461143) Subject: From Kropotkin's lighthouse... From: Spleen Cringe I posted this elsewhere on the forum... Hey, let's leave WAVworld behind and start a new thread on anarchism. Much more fun... The changing of the lightbulb is the task of the lightbulb itself. Anyone remember top Welwyn Garden City based anarcho-popsters the Astronauts? At their best - songs like 'Typical English Day' - they did cracking, very English sounding folk-rock. And, just for The Beard, free jazz polymath Lol Coxhill guested on one of their albums. And don't get me started on anarcho-locomotive enthusiasts, Blyth Power... Building the new thread in the shell of the old... Ok, so its a bit of a shakey start to a new thread but what the hell. Let's see what happens... |
09 Oct 08 - 12:21 PM (#2461148) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: The Borchester Echo Well, skipping over all the punks and other pretendy anarchists, I could cite Red Fly The Banners O (to the tune of Green Grow The Rushes O) but I think it's really Leninist if not Stalinist. |
09 Oct 08 - 12:32 PM (#2461162) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Spleen Cringe I think for the purposes of this thread we may have to include the anarcho-lite hippypunks (or militant liberals as we used to call 'em)... Sod the vegans, though... |
09 Oct 08 - 12:43 PM (#2461172) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: TheSnail anarcho-locomotive enthusiasts They're running most of the British railway system. |
09 Oct 08 - 12:44 PM (#2461174) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: GUEST,Volgadon What about actual anarchist songs? Here is the anarchist anthem, published anonymously in Paris, 1908 and very popular, especially with the Makhnovites where it became practically a folk song. Pretty dreadful, but authentic. Let us sing a song beneath bolts of lightning, Beneath explosions and bullets, beneath the flames, Beneath the black banner of monumentous struggle, Beneath the sound of trumpets! Let us tear down, brothers, the palaces and idols, Break the chains and bonds; Enough of the of the submissive slavery- We'll drown out the sorrow of the nation with blood! |
09 Oct 08 - 12:59 PM (#2461187) Subject: Lyr Add: BREAD AND ROSES (James Oppenheim) From: The Borchester Echo brothers Think I prefer to sing this: As we go marching marching in the beauty of the day A million darkened kitchens a thousand mill lofts grey Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses For the people hear us singing bread and roses, bread and roses. As we go marching marching we battle too for men For they are women's children and we mother them again Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread but give us roses. 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. As we go marching marching, we bring the greater days The rising of the women means the rising of the race No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposes But a sharing of life's glories, bread and roses. bread and roses. Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes Hearts starve as well as bodies, bread and roses, bread and roses. |
09 Oct 08 - 01:17 PM (#2461209) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Acorn4 There was a group of anarchists who used to gather in an alehouse I used to frequent in the late seventies. They rather lost their cred when they said they were going to have a meeting to draw up a constitution. |
09 Oct 08 - 01:21 PM (#2461211) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Les in Chorlton The Banks are made of marble With a guard at every door And the vaults are stocked with silver That we have sweated for |
09 Oct 08 - 01:22 PM (#2461213) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: The Borchester Echo an alehouse I used to frequent O'Donoghue's? |
09 Oct 08 - 01:34 PM (#2461228) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: akenaton Hi Diane...I didn't realise that you were a proper leftie...Ake |
09 Oct 08 - 01:39 PM (#2461241) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: The Borchester Echo Dunno what you think a "proper leftie" is but I was a Morning Star reporter / subeditor for quite a few years during which time I wrote the f*lk column and drank / sang quite a bit in O'Donoghue's (among other places). |
09 Oct 08 - 01:51 PM (#2461247) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: akenaton Good for you...I've had a few jars in O'D's meself(touch of satire there) and had a lot of pals in King St. Suppose I'm comin' round to the anarchist idea nowadays. Don't know if that's mellowing or becoming more militant :0) |
09 Oct 08 - 02:11 PM (#2461274) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Jack Blandiver How Many Members of the Communist Party of Great Britain does it take to change a light bulb? Seven. Because they all have to be there to show solidarity. |
09 Oct 08 - 02:19 PM (#2461281) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: akenaton Have you got a death wish? |
09 Oct 08 - 02:22 PM (#2461284) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Jack Blandiver Marxism is the Opiate of the Intelligentsia |
09 Oct 08 - 02:40 PM (#2461295) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: akenaton How do you get your buzz then? |
09 Oct 08 - 02:43 PM (#2461301) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Les in Chorlton There is a great letter in the Guardian today reminding us that Clause Four was taken from Labour Party membership cards after Blair became Leader. The writer expects that it will appear on his next bank statement. It's a funny old world isn't it? Now, who said that? Chiz L in C |
09 Oct 08 - 03:52 PM (#2461374) Subject: Lyr Add: TWO GOOD MEN (Woody Guthrie) From: Spleen Cringe Ok then... Two Good Men Woody Guthrie Say, there, did you hear the news? Sacco worked at trimmin' shoes; Vanzetti was a peddlin' man, Pushed his fish cart with his hand. Two good men a long time gone, Sacco an' Vanzetti are gone, Two good men a long time gone, Left me here to sing this song. Sacco's born across the sea, Somewhere over in Italy; Vanzetti born of parents fine, Drank the best Italian wine. Sacco sailed the sea one day, Landed up in the Boston Bay. Vanzetti sailed the ocean blue, An' landed up in Boston, too. Sacco's wife three children had; Sacco was a family man. Vanzetti was a dreamin' man, His book was always in his hands. Sacco earned his bread and butter Bein' the factory's best shoe cutter. Vanzetti spoke both day and night, Told the workers how to fight. I'll tell you if you ask me 'Bout this payroll robbery. Two clerks was killed by the shoe fact'ry, On the streets in South Braintree. Judge Thayer told his friends around That he had cut the radicals down. "Anarchist bastard" was the name Judge Thayer called these two good men. I'll tell you the prosecutor's name, Katzman, Adams, Williams, Kane. The Judge and lawyers strutted down, They done more tricks than circus clowns. Vanzetti docked in nineteen eight; Slept along the dirty street, Told the workers "Organize," And on the 'lectric chair he dies. All you people ought to be like me, And work like Sacco and Vanzetti, And everyday find ways to fight On the union side for the workers' rights. Well, I ain't got time to tell this tale, The dicks and bulls are on my trail. But I'll remember these two good men That died to show me how to live. All you people in Suassos Lane, Sing this song and sing it plain. All you folks that's comin' along, Jump in with me and sing this song. |
09 Oct 08 - 03:53 PM (#2461376) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Spleen Cringe Or a personal favourite... Puff the magic dragon Lived by the sea He didn't have a lot to say But he believed in anarchy |
09 Oct 08 - 08:56 PM (#2461623) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Leadfingers Anarchy and Folk Music can NEVER mix - Anarchy is FAR too organised ! |
09 Oct 08 - 09:01 PM (#2461629) Subject: Lyr Add: THE BOMB SONG From: Charley Noble In a more innocent age we learned this lullaby from mother: The Bomb Song In the anarchist's attic, so lowly and so mean, All amidst the fumes of nitro-glycerine; They're busy making fuses, and filling cans with nails, And the little Slavic children set up this mournful wail. Oh, it's Sister Sasha's turn to throw the bomb (bomb, bomb); Last night it was thrown by Brother Thom (Thom, Thom). Mamma's aim is bad and the Cossacks all know Dad, So it's Sister Sasha's turn to throw the bomb (bomb, bomb). Sister Sasha took the bomb and started off; "Oh, mind you now," said Mamma, "to blow up Templehoff." And so the anarchist family waited, till dusk turned into dawn, The anarchist family waited and sang this mournful song: Oh, it's Brother Petros' turn to throw the bomb (bomb, bomb); Sister Sasha's gone the way of Brother Thom (Thom, Thom); Mamma's aim is bad and the Cossacks all know Dad, So it's Brother Petros' turn to throw the bomb (bomb, bomb). Brother Petros went out, a bright faced Slavic lad; He wore his Sunday suit, the only suit he had… Cheerily, Charley Noble |
09 Oct 08 - 09:06 PM (#2461634) Subject: Lyr Add: THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN (Rosselson) From: McGrath of Harlow In 1649 to St George's Hill A ragged band they called the Diggers Came to show the people' s will They defied the landlords They defied the laws They were the dispossessed Reclaiming what was theirs We come in peace, they said To dig and sow We come to work the land in common And to make the waste land grow This earth divided We will make whole So it can be A common treasury for all. The sin of property We do disdain No one has any right to buy and sell The earth for private gain By theft and murder They took the land Now everywhere the walls Rise up at their command. They make the laws To chain us well The clergy dazzle us with heaven Or they damn us into hell We will not worship The God they serve The God of greed who feeds the rich While poor men starve We work, we eat together We need no swords We will not bow to masters Or pay rent to the lords We are free men Though we are poor You Diggers all stand up for glory Stand up now From the men of property The orders came They sent the hired men and troopers To wipe out the Diggers' claim Tear down their cottages Destroy their corn They were dispersed - Only the vision lingers on You poor take courage You rich take care The earth was made a common treasury For everyone to share All things in common All people one We come in peace The order came to cut them down |
09 Oct 08 - 11:41 PM (#2461721) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Ross Campbell Live; Eat; Be silent; Die. Apparently an anarchist comment on what the system expects of us. (Seen on a wall in Katoomba, NSW, about twelve years ago). Ross |
10 Oct 08 - 02:56 AM (#2461779) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Thompson What's Clause Four? Like the lightbulb jokes. The Internationale is the anarchist anthem. The IWW songs - Pie in the Sky By and By, Joe Hill, and so on, would all be anarchist. |
10 Oct 08 - 04:03 AM (#2461805) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Les in Chorlton Sex Pistols? |
10 Oct 08 - 04:06 AM (#2461807) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: The Borchester Echo CLAUSE 4 of Labour Party constitution: "To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service." (Sidney Webb. 1917) Rewritten by Blair in 1995 as: "The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It believes that by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, so as to create for each of us the means to realise our true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few, where the rights we enjoy reflect the duties we owe, and where we live together, freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect." Spot the difference, and understand why we are where we are now. |
10 Oct 08 - 04:34 AM (#2461821) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Ruth Archer "The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party." Stop it! I'm trying to work! *Wiping away tears of laughter* |
10 Oct 08 - 04:38 AM (#2461823) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: The Borchester Echo It's the "we live together, freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect" that gets me. (Wiping away genuine tears of grief) |
10 Oct 08 - 04:40 AM (#2461825) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Les in Chorlton I am reluctant to re-open the history of the Labour Party / Government but I have to say to those who never liked Blair or New Labour fair enough. But those of us who had worked in the Party from, in my case 1974, to 1992, advocating Clause 4 and a programme for Government that barely smelled of Socialism, what people chose was 18 years of Thatcher. I could see no evidence by '92 or '97 that people would choose Clause 4. People voted Labour because they were sick to death of the Tories and they liked even loved Blair. Blair was extremely popular with the general public. It wasn't my 18 years of leafleting and knocking on doors that made the difference it was Blair, Brown, Campbell and so on. But I have to recognise the supreme irony of an American government nationalising banks! Now, where are those leaflets? Chiz Les |
10 Oct 08 - 06:21 AM (#2461879) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: GUEST,Volgadon You have it all wrong! I've found the original version, before the penultimate rewrite: "The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party, or at least it would be if I could just find a dictionary with pictures or until the Darkness (which I listen to so the people of Great Britain will know how hip I truly am) set the definition to music. It believes that by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, I guess that sounds nice, doesn't it, so as to create for each of us the means to realise our very bestest true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few, but at the same time in nobody's hands, because that isn't truly fair, where the rights we enjoy reflect the duties we owe the revenue services, and where we live together, freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect similar in some ways to the free spirit of the 1960s, but in a very respectable format which appeals even to dyed-in-the-wool Tories." |
10 Oct 08 - 08:13 AM (#2461991) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: quokka I couldn't resist "ARTHUR: Well, I am king! DENNIS: Oh king, eh, very nice. And how d'you get that, eh? By exploiting the workers! By 'anging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society. If there's ever going to be any progress with the-- WOMAN: I didn't know we had a king. I thought we were an autonomous collective. DENNIS: You're fooling yourself. We're living in a dictatorship. A self-perpetuating autocracy in which the working classes-- DENNIS: I told you. We're an anarcho-syndicalist commune. We take it in turns to act as a sort of executive officer for the week. But all the decision of that officer have to be ratified at a special bi-weekly meeting-- By a simple majority in the case of purely internal affairs,-- But by a two-thirds majority in the case of more major--" |
10 Oct 08 - 10:10 AM (#2462097) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: theleveller Just been reading an interesting article in the New Statesman about Robert Wyatt, whose back catalogue is being re-released in October by Domino Records. Not folk, exactly, although his Sea Song does appear on Rachel Unthank's The Bairns. Anyone remember Soft Machine? |
10 Oct 08 - 12:50 PM (#2462235) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Jack Blandiver Yet another Wyatt back-catalogue re-release? Ho-hum - means I might have to buy them all over again, though by & large I'm happy enough with the Hannibal editions which, I suppose, are getting on a bit now. There's some choice Wyatt-era Soft Machine clips on YouTube, my favourite presently being this, which is the first of two parts featuring the Ratledge / Wyatt / Hopper trio doing Moon in June. Much as I love Wyatt, his politics leave me cold, just more upper-middle-class polemicising which, for me, has marred much of his last two albums (compared to the relatively a-political Shleep) though, perhaps ironically, I regard Matching Mole's Little Red Record as something of a classic, and the heavily politicised experimental 80s Italian radio sessions (available as a free download from BigO from time to time) is some of his finest work, especially Opium Wars - now I'd love to hear Rachel Unthank covering that! It's like Henry Cow - filching their music wholesale from Zappa and playing it with a po-faced earnestness that missed the essential humanity, profanity & humour that made Zappa's work (Uncle Meat especially) so appealing in the first place. Whilst Wyatt is less obviously derivative, he's at his best bordering the surreal and the impressonistic, as he does on Rock Bottom, or else working with his wife's more abstract landscapes (as he does on Shleep) or even Edward Gorey's macabre narratives. I used to have an album of him singing John Cage songs too, I wonder what happened to that? |
10 Oct 08 - 01:09 PM (#2462244) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Jack Blandiver PS : It's like Henry Cow - filching their music wholesale from Zappa and playing it with a po-faced earnestness that missed the essential humanity, profanity & humour that made Zappa's work (Uncle Meat especially) so appealing in the first place. - not just appealing, but genuinely challenging & in every sense radical. Henry Cow's lyrical extremes made about as much sense as Tales from Topographic Oceans and, dare I say, had the same 6th form appeal. Wyatt's are a little clearer perhaps, but I've got along too well with righteousness at all, political or otherwise. Nice idea for a thread anyway, Spleen. Shame they had to bring politics into it! |
10 Oct 08 - 01:55 PM (#2462287) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Uncle_DaveO How did we get this far in this thread without mentioning the great old anarchist/wobbly, U. Utah Phillips? Oh, if only he were here to join in this thread! Dave Oesterreich |
10 Oct 08 - 02:08 PM (#2462301) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: dick greenhaus Back in the day, there was an anarchist/libertarian/ bunch in NYC that included such luminaries as Dave Van Ronk and Dick Ellington. In his later years, Van Ronk turned conservative and became a Stalinist. |
10 Oct 08 - 09:56 PM (#2462699) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Charley Noble Dick- Was that when Dave Van Ronk co-authored The Bosses Songbook? Cheerily, Charley Noble |
10 Oct 08 - 11:01 PM (#2462724) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Ross Campbell From "Homicide: Life on the Street" (currently showing on itv4 in UK):- Munch:- "Thomas Paine said it best 'Disorder is the only handmaid of true democracy'". Bayliss:- "Thomas Paine never said that!" Munch:- "He was getting around to it". Ross |
10 Oct 08 - 11:15 PM (#2462734) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: dick greenhaus Charlie- Yep. |
11 Oct 08 - 06:28 AM (#2462840) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Jack Blandiver but I've got along too well with righteousness at all, political or otherwise. That should be, of course, NEVER got along with righteousness... Otherwise: Anarchy is the mirror humanity must look into to see how far it still has to go. (Anais Bender) |
11 Oct 08 - 08:15 AM (#2462873) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Les in Chorlton Sean, how do you feel about the righteous Timothy Taylor Landlord served in the Beech? L in C |
11 Oct 08 - 03:56 PM (#2463168) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Jack Blandiver Very nice, Les! But not a patch on the craft-brewed ale of Bare Arts in Todmorden - did a gig there last week, an absolute revelation, and an education in beer, art & hospitality! Check it out Here. Pic: Sedayne at Bare Arts, 4th Oct 2008 |
12 Oct 08 - 02:17 PM (#2463758) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Mark Ross Surprised that no one has mentioned Utah Phillips, a great practicing anarchist who said the "anarchy is not a noun, it's a verb." Mark Ross |
12 Oct 08 - 02:27 PM (#2463765) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Les in Chorlton Sean, Bare Arts in Todmorden looks like an amazing place and you look very "at home" did lots of people have a good time? Chiz Les |
13 Oct 08 - 04:29 AM (#2464187) Subject: RE: Folklore: Anarchism and folk music From: Jack Blandiver Well I cetainly had a good time, Les - which is a fair indication that the others did too as I can only enjoy performing if the audience are with me. However, mine hosts did ply me with a rather strong imperial stout doing the interval on account of a problem with the valve on one of their party-pigs which altered reality rather. Fortunately for me the audience were in a similar state of inebriation so they followed me quite happily along a few merry detours and down one dead end, but we soon recovered... |