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One Wobbly characteristic since their inception has been a penchant for song.
To counteract management sending in the Salvation Army band to cover up the Wobbly speakers, Joe Hill wrote parodies of Christian hymns so that union members could sing along with the Salvation Army band, but with their own purposes.
For example, " In the Sweet By and By " became " There'll Be Pie in the Sky When You Die ( That's a Lie )".
From that start in exigency, Wobbly song writing became common because they " articulated the frustrations, hostilities, and humor of the homeless and the dispossessed.
" The IWW collected its official songs in the Little Red Songbook and continues to update this book to the present time.
In the 1960s, the American folk music revival in the United States brought a renewed interest in the songs of Joe Hill and other Wobblies, and seminal folk revival figures such as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie had a pro-Wobbly tone, while some were members of the IWW.
Among the protest songs in the book are " Hallelujah, I'm a Bum " ( this song was never popular among members ), " Union Maid ", and " I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night ".
Perhaps the best known IWW song is " Solidarity Forever ".
The songs have been performed by dozens of artists, and Utah Phillips performed the songs in concert and on recordings for decades.
Other prominent IWW song-writers include Ralph Chaplin who authored " Solidarity Forever ", and Leslie Fish.

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