Just over a hundred years ago, on November 19th 1915, Joe Hill was bound and placed in front of a firing squad and the last noise this singer of songs heard in the world was the bang of those rifles firing as one. In that split second Joe Hill became eternal. It is strongly suspected that the murder charges he was found guilty of and executed for were pinned on him to quiet his voice. But, what was Joe singing that was so very powerful?
There are no recordings of Joe’s music. There are no youtube videos of Joe singing his songs. What we have is the memory of these songs, as they were played by others who were inspired by them. And, they were powerful. They have rallied workers, and inspired revolutionaries. The songs of Joe Hill became even more important when he was martyred, and their strength echoes still to this day.
“We want all the workers in the world to organize,
Into a great big union grand.
And when we all united stand,
The world for workers we demand.
If the working class could only see and realize,
What mighty power labor has,
Then the exploiting master class,
It would soon fade away.”
Through a series of documentary episodes we will be telling the story of Joe, the people he has inspired, the story of the world he lived in, and the world that he helped to create. Joe Hill was a match struck by the world. This was the birth of the union and the very concept of workers rights. The loss of Joe Hill amplified his music, which rang out like a bell in the years since. His songs have been covered by the likes of Ani Difranco, Bruce Springsteen, Utah Phillips… and Joe Hill not only wrote songs, Joe Hill became songs. Bruce Springsteen, Phil Ochs, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez, Ani Difranco, Utah Phillips and more have sung about the life and death of Joe.
In each of our episodes we will delve into the history of Joe, where his songs went and who they influenced. We will explore the idea that “it takes more than guns to kill a man,” in conversations with revolutionaries, through music, and through re-enactments tailored to give an eye into the world of Joe Hill. We will also explore the mystery that remains unexplained and attempt to explain the actual occurrences surrounding the murders for which Joe Hill was executed. Most importantly of all, we will examine how the world we live in now was shaped by Joe Hill. The battles that Joe fought are still being fought today.
The host of our program is notable folk musician, S.G. Sinnicks. Steve has a passionate mind and is the charming intersection of history geek and expert on folk music.
