Note the note on Woody Guthrie's guitar, and follow the link to hear the songs.
Top Ten Labor Day Songs, by Peter Rothberg (The Nation)
In honor of the Labor Day holiday, I've revised a previous attempt at the impossible task of naming the best songs ever written about working people. The list is highly debatable; songs about working and working people cut across musical genres and generations. I know it's a travesty to not include "Which Side Are You On?" or Johnny Paycheck's classic "Take This Job and Shove It." I also feel terrible neglecting Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, Nina Simone and John Mellencamp and giving short shrift to the rich history of punk rock odes to the insanity of wage slavery. Hopefully, these songs will get you thinking about your own favorite musical celebrations of the blood, sweat and tears that exemplify the working condition.
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