I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night

Joe Hill emigrated from Sweden to the United States in 1902, eventually joining the Industrial Workers of the World and becoming the most celebrated labor songwriter in the country. In 1915, he was executed for a crime that is widely believed he did not commit, and in the 1930s, the song “Joe Hill” was created to honor this legendary labor martyr.
This book, the first to tell the story of the song “Joe Hill,” follows the song’s national and international diaspora as it developed from a labor union ballad into an international anti-war anthem and rallying cry for all people to rise up against their oppressors. Included are the historical contexts of the song’s many eras and the performers who ensured its continued relevance, such as Paul Robeson, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Utah Phillips.

Former owner and manager of Palisade Press, Craig Smith lives in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Craig Smith
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 212
Bibliographic Info: 10 photos, discography, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9651-5
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5425-6
Imprint: McFarland

“Joe Hill” ix

Preface 1

Prologue: Campfires 3

 1. In the Beginning: Alfred and Earl 5

 2. The Poet Laureate of Labor 20

 3. Strange Fruit 33

 4. Paul Robeson 46

 5. Where You’ll Find Joe Hill 58

 6. No Quarter 71

 7. Peekskill 84

 8. On Their Journeys 94

 9. Carry It On 107

10. Which Side Are You On? 120

11. Telling It Like It Is 135

12. Fellow Workers 148

13. Freedom Is a Constant Song 161

Epilogue 177

Acknowledgments 183

Discography 186

Image Credits 188

Chapter Notes 189

Bibliography 193

Index 195