The IWW gave working class rebellion its first soundtrack. Neither
the organization's ideology nor tactics were completely new to the
labor movement. What was new was the creation of an extensive body
of music and poetry, which inspired and united a multicultural,
American workforce. Sung at mass meetings, on the picket lines,
and in the jails, Wobbly songs kindled a spirit of solidarity and
strengthened the will to resist. Most importantly, IWW songs articulated
the sentiments and aspirations of the working class in a way that
a thousand well-argued pamphlets and manifestos never could.
"Dump the Bosses off Your Back," which appeared in the
ninth edition of the IWW's "little red songbook," was written
by John Brill and set to the tune of "Take it to the Lord in Prayer.
It represents a call to workers everywhere to wise up to their
exploitation and fire their bosses. [Click here
for lyrics.]
The formation of the Industrial Workers of the World
in 1905 marked a revolutionary turning point in the history of the
American labor movement. At a time when the goal of other labor
organizations was to secure better wages and suitable working conditions,
the IWW was bent on abolishing the wage system and establishing
a cooperative commonwealth of workers. At a time when labor was
being told to take their grievances to the ballot box, the IWW was
calling for direct action in the factories. At a time when the working
class was waging pitched battles over the recognition of their right
to negotiate, the IWW was putting forth the radical notion that
labor did not need to negotiate; that workers, organized industrially
at the point of production, could make the world stand still simply
by folding their arms. Finally, at a time when access to working
class organizations was predominantly restricted by issues of gender,
race, ethnicity, and skill, the IWW was enrolling all of the nation's
toilers - including women, African-Americans, immigrants, and the
unskilled - into what workers everywhere came to know as the "One
Big Union."
Instrumental to forging the bonds between all these
various groups of people were the contributions of Wobbly artists,
songwriters, and poets. IWW cartoons, songs, and poems not only
functioned as a means of disseminating abstract theory among the
working masses, but were also crucial in shaping a vibrant folk
culture that strengthened the bonds of solidarity that linked rank-and-file
workers. This creative, unifying culture remains the Industrial
Workers of the World's most original and enduring contribution to
the American labor movement.
