Smithsonian Folkways Recordings reposted this
“Solidarity forever, for the union makes us strong” 🎵 Written in 1915 by organizer, poet, artist, and writer Ralph Chaplin, “Solidarity Forever” is one of the most popular union songs of the American labor movement. Chaplin was inspired by the West Virginian coal miners during the Paint Creek–Cabin Creek Strike of 1912. As a member of the Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.), Chaplin was the editor of their publications “Solidarity” and “Industrial Worker.” This version of the song was recorded by folk musician Joe Glazer and appears on several albums, including his 1977 release “Songs of the Wobblies” and “Classic Labor Songs from Smithsonian Folkways,” which he helped to compile. Glazer, nicknamed “Labor’s Troubadour,” founded Collector Records in 1970 to distribute music of the labor movement. The label is now in the collection of our Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. 📸: Joe Glazer, Courtesy of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. [1] From the Collector Records Business Records Collection [2] Photo by Michael Monseur. Video Description: Photo montage to the tune of "Solidarity Forever." The first of three images is a black and white photograph of a man wearing glasses and holding a guitar. The photograph pans up to an album cover that transforms into the colorful version of that album. The album is red and features an illustration of a man with his arms crossed. The final image is a full color image of the same man playing the guitar.