Sunday, September 06, 2009

Take This Tune - September Song

Jamie just developed this new meme Take This Tune. It's very interesting and this week she posted about Jimmy Durante and the September Song.

We can post about anything that comes to mind after reading an
d listening to Jamie's post.

Well, the first thing I thought of was Labor Day, which is the first Monday in September. And I wondered if there were any songs about this holiday. I doubted it but I went to search the 'net.

Here's one by John McCutcheon:

In school we learn the well-known names
The ones whose money was their fame
Who ran the railroads, bought the West
Today we mention all the rest

Who blazed the trail that brought us here
Whose family names we'll never hear
Who laid the track and dug the coal
The brain and muscle, heart and soul.

Chorus:
Labor Day, Labor Day
September or the first of May
To all who work this world we say
Happy Labor Day.

The ones who work behind the plow
The ones who stand and will not bow
The ones who care for home and child
The ones who labor meek and mild
The ones who work a thousand ways
That we might celebrate this day
The ones who raise our cities tall
For those who labor, one and
all

Chorus

In history books I often find
That children worked in mill and mine
No time to play, to learn, or grow
Just send 'em in or down below
Today too many have forgot
The goals for which our parents fought
When I grow up I hope to be
As strong as those who fought
for me.

Chorus

The original celebration of Labor Day was May 1st, commemorating those workers killed in Chicago's Haymarket demonstrations for the 8-hour day on May 1, 1886. Most countries around the world still celebrate Labor Day on May 1.

I have no idea what the tune is for the lyrics.



I'm going over to YouTube...

Here's a tune I found on YouTube called Labor Day Massacre


So there you go, Jamie!


11 comments:

Jim said...

Hi Mary, we celebrated aleady on May 1st with the French in France. They do a bang up job there. Now we will just stay home an watch things on TV here.
I wanted to tell you that I haven't forgotten you. I had a dentist appointment in Huntsville (north of here) and stopped off on my way home at the Sam Houston Monument and Park.
They have a tourist gift shop and wouldn't you know they didn't have the one I have in mind for you. We can't just get those on any corner, not even in the Houston areas I have been to lately but please don't give up on me.
..
If I can find anything red with the white statue I could use it for Ruby Tuesday. I looked there for something red with no encouragement but my imagination works pretty good.
:-)
..

Durward Discussion said...

Very well done as always. It reminds me to pull up my great great grandfather's testimony on ending child labor in the Scottish mines in the mid 1700s. It took the US more than a century later to do the same.

Joyce said...

The lyrics you posted, Mary, are so apropos for Labor Day. It takes lots of ordinary people faithfully doing their work to make this world go 'round!

Felisol said...

Dear teach Mary,
Funny thing that we are celebrating May First as Labor Day, But the Americans, who originally had the idea have landed on another day.

I actually didn't know it was an American "invention."
Thanks for upgrading me.
From Felisol

Travis Cody said...

Thanks for the history. There were some things I didn't know.

amanda said...

Sounds like a fun new meme Mary.... Happy Labor day
Be well& *hugs*

Margaret Gosden said...

I took 'Take This Tune' and 'Ruby Tuesday' - I am not a poet so the theme tune served to suggest the time and the wilting colours of Fall, in this event, red. Thank you for Jimmy Durante!

Digital Flower Pictures said...

That is quite a band you posted.

I came over for Ruby Tuesday but didn't see the links.

Baba said...

Good morning Mary, a great post for Labor Day...I enjoyed the history behind the day!!!

bj said...

I have my Ruby Tuesday post up but .....no links....???
I do hope everything is alright with you...
Would you come over and let me know if and when you get the links up?

Chany said...

Muy lindo blog, muy amplio, lleno de gente interesante, aunque todavía no entiendo bien que esto me pareció muy interesante y fascinante, hasta pronto Chany.-