Lyrics of Labor

Songs carry stories. Lyrics of Labor looks at the music shaped by work, struggle, and the people behind it.

  • Lyrics of Labor – The Wreck of the Old 97 by Johnny Cash

    Lyrics of Labor – The Wreck of the Old 97 by Johnny Cash

    A train running behind schedule. A boss who needs the mail on time. A worker pushed to make it happen—no matter the risk. The Wreck of the Old 97 isn’t just a folk standard; it’s a workplace autopsy set to steel wheels and coal smoke.

  • Lyrics of Labor – Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford

    Lyrics of Labor – Sixteen Tons by Tennessee Ernie Ford

    A foot-tapping baritone with a gut-punch message: “Sixteen Tons” turns coalfield economics into a four-minute warning about work, debt, and dignity. From company stores and scrip to modern debt traps, this Lyrics of Labor entry digs into why the song still feels uncomfortably current.

  • Lyrics of Labor – 1913 Massacre by Woody Guthrie

    Lyrics of Labor – 1913 Massacre by Woody Guthrie

    The first entry in Lyrics of Labor digs into Woody Guthrie’s “1913 Massacre,” a stark retelling of the Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan. We walk through the lyrics, the strike behind the song, and how one Christmas Eve tragedy became a lasting indictment of corporate power.