The Little Red Songbook: A Brief History of the Wobblies and Their Music

In the early 20th Century, a group of socialists, anarchists, and radical unionists got together to form the International Workers of the World. The IWW, also known as the Wobblies, wanted more than decent wages and humane working conditions; they wanted an overthrow of the capitalistic system. When a person joined the IWW, they were given a union card and a copy of the Little Red Songbook. The songs in the book, set to familiar tunes of the day, were a great organizing and educational tool. In this book, singer/songwriter/folk singer Gary Blanchard offers a brief history of the IWW and also provides chords and lyrics for seventeen songs that are featured on a CD of IWW songs Gary recorded with his wife, Carol Mays. Part songbook and part history book, this is a great resource for those interested in the story and song of the American labor movement.