The Ballad of Joe Hill - by Phil Ochs

Written & Sung by Phil Ochs
In memory of Joe Hill
7 October 1879 -- 19 November 1915
Join the One Big Union!
www.iww.org/

[@lsf698]

Joe Hill come over from Sweden shores Looking for some work to do And the Statue of Liberty waved him by As Joe come a sailing through, Joe Hill As Joe come a sailing through Oh his clothes were coarse and his hopes were high As he headed for the promised land And it took a few weeks on the out-of-work streets Before he began to understand Before he began to understand And Joe got hired by a bowery bar Sweeping up the saloon As his rag would sail over the baroom rail Sounded like he whistled on a tune You could almost hear him whistling on a tune And Joe rolled on from job to job From the docks to the railroad line And no matter how hungry the hand that wrote In his letters he was always doing fine In his letters he was always doing fine Oh, the years went by like the sun goin' down Slowly turn the page And when Joe looked back at the sweat upon his tracks He had nothing to show but his age He had nothing to show but his age So he headed out for the California shore There things were just as bad So he joined the Industrial Workers of the World 'Cause, the union was the only friend he had 'Cause, the union was the only friend he had Now the strikes were bloody and the strikes were black As hard as they were long In the dark of night Joe would stay awake and write In the morning he would raise them with a song In the morning he would raise them with a song And he wrote his words to the tunes of the day To be passed along the union vine And the strikes were led and the songs were spread And Joe Hill was always on the line Yes, Joe Hill was always on the line Now in Salt Lake City a murder was made There was hardly a clue to find Oh, the proof was poor, but the sheriff was sure That Joe was the killer of the crime That Joe was the killer of the crime Joe raised his hands but they shot him down He had nothing but guilt to give It's a doctor I need and they left him to bleed But he made it 'cause he had the will to live Yes, he made it 'cause he had the will to live Then the trial was held in a building of wood And there the killer would be named And the days weighed more than the cold copper ore 'Cause he feared that he was being framed 'Cause he found out that he was being framed Oh, strange are the ways of western law Strange are the ways of fate For the government crawled to the mine owner's call That the judge was appointed by the state Yes, the judge was appointed by the state Oh, Utah justice can be had But not for a union man And Joe was warned by summer early morn That there'd be one less singer in the land There'd be one less singer in the land Now William Spry was Governor Spry And a life was his to hold On the last appeal, fell a governor's tear May the lord have mercy on your soul May the lord have mercy on your soul Even President Wilson held up the day But even he would fail For nobody heard the soul searching words Of the soul in the Salt Lake City jail Of the soul in the Salt Lake City jail For 36 years he lived out his days And he more than played his part For his songs that he made, he was carefully paid With a rifle bullet buried in his heart With a rifle bullet buried in his heart Yes, they lined Joe Hill up against the wall Blindfold over his eyes It's the life of a rebel that he chose to live It's the death of a rebel that he died It's the death of a rebel that he died In this time in the cell he wrote to his friends And his wishes all were plain: My body can’t be found in this Utah ground, So they laid him on a fast departing train. Yes, they laid him on a fast departing train. And the rebel rode to Chicago town, There were thirty thousand people to mourn. And just about the time that Joe lay dying A legend was just a-being born. A legend was just a-being born. Now some say Joe was guilty as charged And some say he wasn't even there And I guess nobody will ever know 'Cause the court records all disappeared 'Cause the court records all disappeared Say wherever you go in this fair land In every union hall In the dusty dark these words are marked In between all the cracks upon the wall In between all the cracks upon the wall It's the very last line that Joe Will wrote When he knew that his days were through "Boys, this is my last and final will Good luck to all of you Good luck to all of you"

[@artsyrache]

Thanks

[@icarress]

Thank you

[@The_Gamer445]

M

[@The_Gamer445]

A

[@michaelkerins9528]

Phil will never rest in peace. He speaks to us still. That's why we still listen after all these years. He is still trying to lead us to a better world. God bless you Phil.

[@skpgrn]

Thanks Michael, Yes, Phil is still a hero to those of us that lived through all of the 60's and early 70's. My heart still aches for 1976. RIP Phil. There are very few of the new "folk" singers of today that understand what the fight is really about! Love and Peace to all, Skip

[@whitetuxmafiaandfilms5042]

He will Rest in Power

[@francesbrisco776]

LOVE PHIL A HERO OF EQUALITY

[@francesbrisco776]

FOREVER JOE HILL

[@bjspeck4337]

@@whitetuxmafiaandfilms5042 The glory will rest on us all.

[@estoy1001]

"Fire - go on and FIRE!!!" - Joe Hill's Last Words before his executioners. My will is easy to decide For there is nothing to divide My kin don't need to fuss and moan "Moss does not cling to rolling stone" My body? Oh, if I could choose I would to ashes it reduce And let the merry breezes blow My dust to where some flowers grow Perhaps some fading flower then Would come to life and bloom again. This is my Last and final Will. Good Luck to All of you Joe Hill - Joe Hill's Last Will & Testament.

[@filipchetwynd7746]

A poet with some 800 pound balls. Phil and Joe.

[@comeonyouyellows]

"For the songs that he made, he was carefully paid with a rifle bullet buried in his heart" Rest in Power Joe and Phil - songwriters of the people

[@educatedserf8411]

An injury to One is an injury to All!

[@brigadiergeneralstrike3536]

Do you have anything _important_ to say?

[@strelokoperator7509]

I just did.

[@Loftur1172]

Solidarity Forever!

[@daniellarsson3699]

I actually live in Gävle ( Joe hills hometown ) and they are doing a museum thing for him here now so i went and got an eye opener. Have heard about Joe before but never understood he was from Sweden. Makes me proud of my town even though we got BIG work problems now and maybe should have needed him home now.

[@isacmeijer6210]

Är det fritt inträde?

[@daniellarsson3699]

Isac Meijer Det va helt fritt, bara och gå in. Läns muséet är alltid fritt så vitt jag vet :) Detta va i sommras :)

[@gillesbourgeois5348]

could you translate por favor?

[@ExUSSailor]

When folk singers stood for something.

[@howardtedder3176]

This song is for Phil Oaks Who hung himself with a length of rope He took his job seriously He weren't no 9 to 5 folk singer Like the ones on MTV That's what Kirk Kelly said to me On the corner of Clinton and Houston Street where.

[@howardtedder3176]

From Brenda Kahn's album "Goldfish Don't talk back". Can't seem to paste the link here but you can find it on youtube.

[@gillesbourgeois5348]

Phil Ochs, not Oaks, but maybe he's now a mighty oak tree...who knows?

[@ChaliQ1]

Maybe He didn't do it.

[@emilynix6404]

Chali Q I believe his paranoia at the end was a tell tale sign. A FOIA petition could bring some light to this case. Though I doubt we'd ever get the answers.

[@antrim7008]

Don’t mourn, organize!

[@depro9]

100 years ago today Joe Hill was murdered. Smash the $TATE!

[@charlesjurgus]

Yeah, so the post-Soviet thugs don't have to hide their rule behind Trump, huh? Grow up.

[@alanoneill3065]

yes..and they try to deflect the blame on to Russia...they are getting desperate...

[@macersracers7459]

not desperate, the end of my comment will address that slightly but, people don't want to accept that too many americans are stupid racist pieces of shit..a lot of people want to think americans are better than they are which they clearly aren't...(unfortunately there are clearly some creepy russian issues (I thought business wise which in my opinion is worse, but now they're making themselves look much more guilty in other ways) but I think people are trying to give americans too much credit. )

[@strelokoperator7509]

Hang all fucking communists.

[@GrindcoreWLKP]

103 years ago today Joe Hill was murdered. Smash the $TATE!

[@carolwells2345]

All of this history is being suppressed. History repeats itself. Our children need to know of these ballads for the betterment of our world.

[@strelokoperator7509]

Hanging communists is for the betterment of our world.

[@robertryoma4782]

joe Hill will live forever in our hearts. And so will the IWW.

[@richardarolland6659]

Phil's the best! Happy Labor Day, every day!

[@erikskoog8415]

long live the union 2021! we can never give up the hope of a good and honest life.

[@Kickimanjaro]

105 years ago and still alive in song

[@Political_TSP]

From the preamble of the Constitution of Joe Hill's labor union, the Industrial Workers of the World: "Instead of the conservative motto, 'A fair day's wage for a fair day's work,' we must inscribe on our banner the revolutionary watchword, "Abolition of the wage system." It is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. The army of production must be organized, not only for everyday struggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production when capitalism shall have been overthrown. By organizing industrially we are forming the structure of the new society within the shell of the old."

[@strelokoperator7509]

Hang all fucking communists.

[@DavidLemmo]

Without "communists", workers will get nothing. No minimum wage, no work life balance, no paid time off, they'll become as poor as early Industrial workers.

[@jasonmartin4775]

@@strelokoperator7509 Hang all fucking fascists.

[@theultimate0117]

@@strelokoperator7509 you are ignorant

[@georgejones1189]

His best song, in my opinion. There are some lines that give me goosebumps.

[@howard5992]

He had many best songs - Pleasures of the Harbor (acoustic version) When I'm Gone Crucifixion No More Songs Is There Anybody Here Jim Dean of Indiana The War Is Over

[@Lurie2010]

R.I.P. Phil Ochs.

[@UncleGranda]

Phil, such a beauty, stood for everyone, and was told it was wrong, harassed until he took his own life. I feel the World is descending into another dark political and social hour, but where are our folk heroes? Where is Phil ochs? Please my beautiful brothers and sisters be better, and let's be the majority, John Lennon said it well in his song "imagine", so well in fact I don't feel I need to repeat it, peace

[@fulanopirado4701]

Robert Goodall there are some ;)

[@felixhenson9926]

Callista is so right. Better a principled war than unprincipled peace.

[@strelokoperator7509]

Of course he killed himself all of you commies are mentally ill and the suicide rate is disproportionately high in mentally ill degenerates.

[@strelokoperator7509]

Callista Graves You'll sit on twitter and kvetch or you'll hold up protest signs then leave a mess in the park when you leave. You're not fit to fight anything.

[@Gaff.]

'Let's make fun of suicidal people. This is the hallmark of a mature political movement.'

[@charliesmith4072]

Phil, was the person Bob Dylan pretended to be.

[@BazookaTooth707]

There's a reason Bob Dylan is remembered today and Ochs is almost forgotten. It's not because one was more deserving of fame, but rather one was willing to sell their soul and the other refused. Phil did so many benefits and never took a dime. He stood for what he believed was right. He took many stances that he knew would affect his career in a negative way. Many of his colleagues ended up selling out. If you wanted a career you moved on from the protest music. Simple as that. Such a shame.

[@mattc7979]

Happy Labor Day, fight the power

[@rockyracune1779]

Fight Hillary Clinton.

[@SouthCom1917]

@@rockyracune1779 Fight the system, comrade, no matter what name it goes by or what face it wears.

[@s3xyn0sfera2]

@@SouthCom1917 Hell yeah!

[@aaronseymour5905]

There's Little bit of joe hill in all of us, most recently in Florida states MR A. Feis - god bless, and good luck to all of you.

[@phildavison9100]

As you can hear, Phil woke up Bobby D to the world. Bob acknowledges it now. Love both of them. Life-changers for me. Many thanks to whomever provided this to us.

[@nathannikolic1458]

Stop putting ads on Phil Ochs' songs KZbin. It's heretical.

[@tisxirse1962]

Use AdBlockPlus. Its icon is red for a reason.

[@bluesriot2]

+Nathan Nikolic saw that ad for the B n G g'tars - ONLY good ad ! ever saw - !rony ? yah

[@hugeprolestate]

+TIS XIRSE ublock or bust

[@strelokoperator7509]

Hang all fucking communists.

[@bashermn5476]

Hey Strelock Operator, get a life

[@GrahamByrne63]

I can listen to these story telling songs all day R I P to the greatest of songwriters

[@barbarabartleson8950]

Joe Hill was always on the line... 💖 🖐️😌🕊️

[@sderoski1]

Joe Hill and IWW are still inspiring workers everywhere to organize and fight like hell!

[@susanalles3145]

We will always remember,

[@sh230968]

In my subconscious, I was looking for this tune.

[@audraharford8799]

Ideas are bulletproof...

[@WORKERS.DREADNOUGHT]

Phil Ochs - another martyr.

[@11222stan]

Words are powerful, songs even more...

[@michellegirard3128]

Happy Labour Day! Organize and resist!

[@steefvanburen7985]

if other people sing a song about you .... rest in peace Mister Hill

[@triplucid3563]

JOE HILL= Immigrant, INSPIRATION, LEGEND, AND A TRUE AMERICAN!

[@erictansley2085]

Speaks so powerfully to us today in these post-Johnson and Trump days. RIP Phil.

[@andydensmore5293]

There should be a movie on the life of joe hill

[@estoy1001]

There is, and I have a copy. It was a cool film, but it's odd hearing Swedish folks doing American accents... but then the same can be said of American export historical pieces.

[@danielkeniston7390]

There should be a movie made on the life of Phil ochs

[@triplucid3563]

Daniel Keniston there is

[@GamerParent]

Did you not listen? There has been a movie made, and it stars Elizabeth Taylor as the Industrial Workers of the World ;)

[@Ma_Ba]

@@danielkeniston7390vis a vis a Phil Ochs film: There is a documentary. I think his brother had something to do with it. I believe there were lots of good reviews of it. It is sad though. He needed help for his mental and emotional wellness.

[@topotube]

"In 1914, John G. Morrison, a Salt Lake City area grocer and former policeman, and his son were shot and killed by two men.[6] The same evening, Hill arrived at a doctor's office with a gunshot wound, and briefly mentioned a fight over a woman. Yet Hill refused to explain further, even after he was accused of the grocery store murders on the basis of his injury. Hill was convicted of the murders in a controversial trial. Following an unsuccessful appeal, political debates, and international calls for clemency from high-profile figures and workers' organizations, Hill was executed in November 1915. After his death, he was memorialized by several folk songs. His life and death have inspired books and poetry. The identity of the woman and the rival who supposedly caused Hill's injury, though frequently speculated upon, remained mostly conjecture for nearly a century. William M. Adler's 2011 biography of Hill reveals new information about his alibi, which was never introduced at his trial.[7] According to Adler, Hill and his friend and countryman, Otto Appelquist, were rivals for the attention of 20-year-old Hilda Erickson, a member of the family with whom the two men were lodging. In a recently discovered letter, Erickson confirmed her relationship with the two men and the rivalry between them. The letter indicates that when she first discovered Hill was injured, he explained to her that Appelquist had shot him, apparently out of jealousy." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Hill

[@edrenajones5960]

George Smith Ah, my thanks for the history lesson. History may be written by the victor, but the truth can be sung by anyone.

[@tusaelmirondo5762]

Gracias! 🖤🖤🖤

[@alanoneill3065]

read up on the Paterson Silk Strike 1913...I'm in Scotland by the way

[@user-og8zs3lp5m]

Joe hill was always on the line. Get organised lads

[@rebeccarosenbaum2193]

love Phil Ochs. he and joe hill must be always remember. for a blessing.

[@stubones49]

thank you Tommi Rautiainen for the message- I got it and only speak one language- Thanks for the thoughts!

[@kylehoupt1459]

Great !

[@midimusicforever]

Good luck to all of you!

[@Maximillian-Tiberius-Rex]

don't mourn ORGANISE

[@emilynix6404]

Strelok Operator How insecure are you really?

[@emilynix6404]

Strelok Operator you can do the world the favor you nerd.

[@imlistening1137]

Wow, just think if speech was as limited then as it is now, we would not have the songs Of Phil Ochs or Joe Hill.

[@caitlinbelforti3939]

This dude was funny.

[@22Lokomotiv]

Took the John Henry tune and converted it to Joe Hill

[@22Lokomotiv]

I misspelled; John Hardy is what I meant to type.

[@RickyColemanpdx49]

It's okay.

[@sharonazar1]

Heartbreaking...

[@tommirautiainen8629]

Yes! I am sorry but my first language is finnish, but what I mean is that in unated states of america have been deasant, good, hard working people who have allways loosed the game. But still I believe at in there are Jack Londons, John Reeds, Thoreaus, Mark Twains etc. who believe of freedom of the people. Every poor, every homeles, every underpaid; homeles, hungry poor bustard is shame of face of land of freedom.

[@robertcowde520]

Working class power

[@Pyraticalpunk]

Just received my sabocat flag!!

[@chrisparker5796]

We never forget or forgive

[@alanoneill3065]

I Will Win

[@gillesbourgeois5348]

someone has a clearer version of the last will? it's hard to read...

[@DavidVT23]

It's on wikipedia: My will is easy to decide For there is nothing to divide My kin don't need to fuss and moan "Moss does not cling to rolling stone" My body? Oh, if I could choose I would to ashes it reduce And let the merry breezes blow My dust to where some flowers grow Perhaps some fading flower then Would come to life and bloom again. This is my Last and final Will. Good Luck to All of you Joe Hill

[@Moneyaddthenmultiply]

Bernie 2020

[@kdonofrio22]

I saw him at the Philadelphia folk festival 1968;; was wearing a bizarre USA costume

[@CatalystParadox]

Can someone explain the joke about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor as Joe Hill and the IWW for me? I figure it's a reference to a movie I'm not familiar with.

[@tommirautiainen8629]

Jep.Joel Emmanuel Hägglund; Also called Joe Hillsröm was a REBEL. My grandad was in the riot of montreal and Joseph was a man. Lumberjacks from north!

[@Breakbeat90s]

sounds like Foxygen - San Francisco

[@pefernottosay3461]

yes we all know where Utah's at

[@b8akaratn]

... and all of a sudden, you see why TheRecordIndu$try $hut Phil Off

[@BazookaTooth707]

You should go through all of the bootlegs. There are many songs of his that never made it on album due to their source material and controversial lyrics. Phil never wanted to sell out like some of his colleagues. The man in the gold lame' suit was satirical. It was one final middle finger to the industry and our human tendency to idolize public figures.

[@b8akaratn]

@@BazookaTooth707 wow - thanks! 👍 🙂

[@Suth1172]

This is sad as shit, good luck to all who are organising against Capitalism and Oppression.

[@mikeflynn6816]

That feel when shit that should have been laid to rest and solved sixty years ago ends up relevant again.

[@strelokoperator7509]

I agree, we should have killed all the commies 60 years ago.

[@k.a.u.4599]

Hands up, don't shoot Joe Hill.

[@mikenelson1074]

Not written by Ochs but by Alfred Hays and Earl Robinson

[@wallybrooker1189]

+Mike Nelson Not so Mike, but the confusion is understandable. This version is actually by Phil Ochs. The one to which you refer is also known as "Joe Hill" but many call it "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night". It's been recorded by a lot of people, including Paul Robeson. There are several other songs about Joe Hill including a recent one by David Rovics.

[@mikenelson1074]

+Wally Brooker Thanks Wally for the temperate language of your correction. It's so easy on the web to react hastily and think you know better than others. If I had listened just a minute I would have heard the difference. I do like the one with Robeson singing best.

[@wallybrooker1189]

+Mike Nelson Good to hear back from you. I agree with you that there is too much rudeness in online commentary. It's so unnecessary. Seems we both admire Robeson and Ochs!

[@bjspeck4337]

I've seen that face.

[@steefvanburen7985]

This Skinhead salutes Joe Hill

[@Rhettofbodom]

[@tommirautiainen8629]

It's so hard to explaine! Do you have any frien who spea finnish? I could explain everything what I mean better to my own language.

[@ChaliQ1]

Self Fulling prophecy

[@gillesbourgeois5348]

what means that picture at 4:25 ? if I'm right I can read "jEW" on the left side and "RFM" on the right side...I don't know this drawing...

[@lblankblank2865]

it's not j-e-w, it's "J.E.H." for "Joel Emmanuel Hägglund" which was Joe Hill's birth name. R.F.M. is for Ricardo Flores Magón of Mexico...

[@truekaliban4674]

The Ballad of Joe Chill I dreamed I saw Joe Chill, last night, Outside The Rivoli, Says I, “You killed my mom and dad,” “I know I did,” says he. “I know I did,” says he. “In Gotham Town, “ I says to him, “Where decency has fled, You’ll never face a murder charge, Though Mom and Dad are dead, Though Mom and Dad are dead.” “The cops don’t care about you, Joe, That vow they take’s a lie. But, some day I will be a MAN. And I DO, Joe, says I And I DO, Joe, says I.” So, twelve years down, beneath my boot, Fear blazing in his eyes, I know what his kind tries to kill, Does only galvanize, Does only galvanize. From Central City up to Met, In each lab and meesrahd, Where decent men care what is right, They finish those like Chill, They finish those like Chill. I dreamed I saw Joe Chill, last night, Outside The Rivoli……….

[@jeligula]

Wait a minute here. I thought that Phil Ochs was nothing more than a crossword puzzle answer.

[@Maximillian-Tiberius-Rex]

Its also a song by Billy Bragg

[@alanoneill3065]

+Carl Elias erm...you mean Billy Bragg also sung this song...amongst many others

[@Maximillian-Tiberius-Rex]

you know what I ment

[@JoshOSU73]

Love Phil Ochs, but this is straight-up snatched from Woody Guthrie's "John Hardy". Surprised that Ochs doesn't at least acknowledge this in the song's introduction.

[@wolf980911]

Listen again, he say it's to the tune of John Hardy

[@oppothumbs1]

The only song on Tape from California I couldn't get through. A very hard song to like if you are not a true Leftist. Carry on Trump! just kidding. The lyrics are not full of Phil's great wordplay and the melody simple and bland. Love Tape for Cali and Half a Century high and most of the songs. Phil you set the bar too high by a half a century. Phil's best is Flower Lady, imo.

[@alg11297]

Joe Hill actually never wrote any original songs but set words to popular songs of the era that everyone already knew. (Much like Phil Ochs is here putting lyrics to a song of another's writing) Unlike the other song, made famous by Joan Baez, Joe Hill was not killed by the Copper mine officials. He apparently showed up at a doctor's office with a bullet wound and refused to explain how he got it. After trial after trial and appeal after appeal Joe made no attempt to defend himself. And he was shot by a firing squad. There is no indication that he was an organizer or had anything to do with union work other than belonging to the IWW like millions of other folks. Blaming his membership in the IWW was used as an excuse for his guilty verdict. Only a few years later the famous case of Sacco and Venzetti was heralded as a miscarriage of justice and their membership in anarchist organizations and their foreign birth were blamed on the outcome. Neither case was ever "solved" but no other person was found to be a suspect. So much for marching for causes of people who find themselves in bad situations, sometimes of their own making.

[@sharonazar1]

POEM ADD COVER REPORT ERROR My Last Will Lyrics written by Joe Hill Publication date March 1916 Composition date November 18, 1915 Language English Comments Joe Hill wrote "My Last Will" the night before his execution and handed it through the bars to a prison guard. It was first published in the March 1916 edition of the IWW "Little Red Songbook". Eventually, Ethel Raim set the poem to music and named the song "Joe Hill's Last Will". Swede Mats Paulson's song uses the original title. The first lines are: "My will is easy to decide For I have nothing to divide My kin don't need to weep and moan Moss does not cling to a rolling stone"

[@user-ir7ow4rq3b]

Idiot