Which Side Are You On
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"Which Side Are You On?" is a song written in 1931 by activist
Florence Reece Florence Reece (April 12, 1900 – August 3, 1986) was an American social activist, poet, and folksong writer. She is best known for the song "Which Side Are You On?" which she originally wrote at the age of twelve while her father was out ...
, who was the wife of Sam Reece, a
union organizer A union organizer (or union organiser in Commonwealth spelling) is a specific type of trade union member (often elected) or an appointed union official. In some unions, the organizer's role is to recruit groups of workers under the organizing ...
for the
United Mine Workers The United Mine Workers of America (UMW or UMWA) is a North American Labor history of the United States, labor union best known for representing coal miners. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing work ...
in
Harlan County, Kentucky Harlan County is a county located in southeastern Kentucky. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 26,831. Its county seat is Harlan, Kentucky, Harlan. It is classified as a moist county—one in which alcohol sale ...
.


Background

In 1931, miners and mine owners in southeastern Kentucky were locked in a bitter and violent struggle called the
Harlan County War The Harlan County War, or Bloody Harlan, was a series of coal industry skirmishes, executions, bombings and strikes (both attempted and realized) that took place in Harlan County, Kentucky, during the 1930s. The incidents involved coal miners ...
. In an attempt to intimidate the family of union leader Sam Reece, Sheriff J. H. Blair and his men, hired by the mining company, illegally entered their home in search of Reece. Reece had been warned and escaped but his wife, Florence, and their children were terrorized. That night, after the men had gone, Florence wrote the lyrics to "Which Side Are You On?" on a calendar that hung in their kitchen. She took the melody from a traditional
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
hymn, " Lay the Lily Low", or the traditional ballad "
Jack Munro William James Munro (1873 – 12 January 1948) was a British trade unionist. Early life Born to British parents in India, Munro's father served in the British Indian Army, and Munro lived there until he was twelve. The family then moved t ...
". Reece supported a second wave of miner strikes circa 1973, as recounted in the documentary '' Harlan County USA''. She and others performed "Which Side Are You On?" a number of times throughout. Reece recorded the song later in life, and it can be heard on the album ''Coal Mining Women''.
Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...
, collecting
labor union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
songs, learned "Which Side Are You On" in 1940. The following year, it was recorded by the
Almanac Singers The Almanac Singers was an American New York City-based folk music group, active between 1940 and 1943, founded by Millard Lampell, Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, and were joined by Woody Guthrie. The group specialized in topical songs, mostly songs a ...
in a version that gained a wide audience. More recently,
Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, author and political activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic th ...
,
Deacon Blue Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop rock band formed in Glasgow in 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime, drummer Dougie Vipond, guitarist Gregor Philp and bassist Le ...
,
Dropkick Murphys Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The current lineup consists of co-lead vocalist and bassist Ken Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, co-lead vocalist Al Barr (on hiatus from the band since 202 ...
,
Rebel Diaz Rebel Diaz is a political hip hop duo out of New York City and Chicago consisting of the Chilean brothers Rodrigo Venegas (known as RodStarz) and Gonzalo Venegas (known as G1). Rebel Diaz uses their music as an organizing tool and to spread kno ...
,
Natalie Merchant Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter. She joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. She remained with the group for their first seven albums before ...
,
Ani DiFranco Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influenc ...
,
Tom Morello Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is known for his tenure with the rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, Morello was a membe ...
,
Panopticon The panopticon is a design of institutional building with an inbuilt system of control, originated by the English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century. The concept is to allow all prisoners of an institution to be ...
, and
S.G. Goodman S.G. Goodman is an American folk and country singer-songwriter from Hickman, Kentucky. She has released three studio albums, ''Old Time Feeling'' in 2020, ''Teeth Marks'' in 2022, and Planting by the Signs, ''Planting by the Signs'' in 2025, and r ...
each recorded their own interpretations of the song. The song is referred to by
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
in the song "
Desolation Row "Desolation Row" is a 1965 song by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was recorded on August 4, 1965, and released as the closing track of Dylan's sixth studio album, ''Highway 61 Revisited''. The song has been noted for its length (11: ...
". It was also the inspiration for the title of
Alessandro Portelli Alessandro Portelli (born July 8, 1942) is an Italian scholar of American literature and culture, oral historian, writer for the daily newspaper ''il manifesto'', and musicologist. He is a professor of Anglo-American literature at the University o ...
's 2011 book on Harlan County's coal mining community.


Versions by other artists

*
The Almanac Singers The Almanac Singers was an American New York City-based folk music group, active between 1940 and 1943, founded by Millard Lampell, Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, and were joined by Woody Guthrie. The group specialized in topical songs, mostly songs ad ...
''Talking Union'', 1941 *
Charlie Byrd Charlie Lee Byrd (September 16, 1925 – December 2, 1999) was an American jazz guitarist. Byrd was best known for his association with Brazilian music, especially bossa nova. In 1962, he collaborated with Stan Getz on the album '' Jazz Samba' ...
- ''
Charlie Byrd at the Village Vanguard ''Charlie Byrd at the Village Vanguard'' is a live album by American jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd featuring tracks recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1961 and released on the Riverside label in 1963. The album was first released on the Washingt ...
'', 1961 *
The Weavers The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City originally consisting of Lee Hays, Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman. Founded in 1948, the group sang traditional folk songs from ...
– ''The Weaver's Almanac'', 1963 *
Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...
– ''Greatest Hits'', 1967 * Spirituál kvintet – "Za svou pravdou stát" (Stand Behind Your Truth), translation to
Czech language Czech ( ; ), historically known as Bohemian ( ; ), is a West Slavic language of the Czech–Slovak group, written in Latin script. Spoken by over 12 million people including second language speakers, it serves as the official language of the ...
, on ''Dostavník 18'', 1983 *
Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, author and political activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic th ...
– ''
Between the Wars In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...
'', 1985 * Clyde and the Milltailers - ''.Root.'', 2017 *
Dick Gaughan Richard Peter Gaughan (born 17 May 1948) is a Scottish musician, singer and songwriter, particularly of folk and social protest songs. He is regarded as one of Scotland's leading singer-songwriters. Early years Gaughan was born in Glasgow's Ro ...
– ''True and Bold'', 1985 * Bob Bovee – ''Rebel Voices'', 1988 *
The Savage Rose The Savage Rose is a Danish psychedelic rock group, formed in 1967. Career The band was founded in 1967 by Thomas Koppel, Anders Koppel, Alex Riel, Jens Rugsted, Flemming Ostermann, and singer Annisette Koppel. Ilse Marie Koppel was also par ...
– ''Hvis Side Er Du På'',1989, in Danish * – ''Na čí'', 1991, in Czech *
Deacon Blue Deacon Blue are a Scottish pop rock band formed in Glasgow in 1985. The line-up of the band consists of vocalists Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh, keyboard player James Prime, drummer Dougie Vipond, guitarist Gregor Philp and bassist Le ...
– '' Riches & More'', 1997 *
Ella Jenkins Ella Louise Jenkins (August 6, 1924 – November 9, 2024) was an American singer-songwriter and centenarian. Called the "First lady of children's music", she was a leading performer of Folk music, folk and children's music. Her 1995 album ''Mult ...
– ''Ella Jenkins and a Union of Friends Pulling Together'', 1999 *
Blue Highway Blue Highway is an American contemporary bluegrass band formed in 1994 and based in Tennessee. The band's albums include ''Wondrous Love'' (2003), ''Marbletown'' (2005), and ''Original Traditional'' (2016). Background After helping found the ...
– ''Still Climbing Mountains'', 2001 *
Dropkick Murphys Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. The current lineup consists of co-lead vocalist and bassist Ken Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, co-lead vocalist Al Barr (on hiatus from the band since 202 ...
– ''
Sing Loud, Sing Proud! ''Sing Loud, Sing Proud!'' is the third studio album from Boston punk rock band the Dropkick Murphys. The album was released on February 6, 2001 through Hellcat. The album is final release to feature founding guitarist Rick Barton, who left ...
'', 2001, and '' Live on St. Patrick's Day from Boston, MA'', 2002 *
Anne Feeney Anne Feeney (July 1, 1951 – February 3, 2021) was an American folk musician, singer-songwriter, political activist and attorney. She began her career in 1969 as a student activist playing a Phil Ochs song at a Vietnam War protest, one of many ...
– '' Union Maid'', 2003 *
Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary were an American Contemporary folk music, folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival. The trio consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), ...
– 2003 *
Natalie Merchant Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter. She joined the band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and was lead vocalist and primary lyricist for the group. She remained with the group for their first seven albums before ...
– '' The House Carpenter's Daughter'', 2003 *
Silas House Silas Dwane House (born August 7, 1971) is an American writer best known for his novels. He is also a music journalist, environmental activist, and columnist. His fiction is known for its attention to the natural world, working-class characters, a ...
– ''Songs for the Mountaintop'', 2006, and ''Public Outcry'', 2008 *
The Nightwatchman The Nightwatchman is the solo project of American musician Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Street Sweeper Social Club and former Audioslave). Morello began performing as the Nightwatchman in 2003 as an outlet for his political views whil ...
''Union Town'', 2011 *
Ani DiFranco Angela Maria "Ani" DiFranco (; born September 23, 1970) is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. She has released more than 20 albums. DiFranco's music has been classified as folk rock and alternative rock, although it has additional influenc ...
– ''
¿Which Side Are You On? ''¿Which Side Are You On?'' is the 17th studio album by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, released on January 17, 2012. The title track is a revised version of the 1931 Florence Reece song "Which Side Are You On?" which was popularized by Pete ...
'', 2012 *
Panopticon The panopticon is a design of institutional building with an inbuilt system of control, originated by the English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century. The concept is to allow all prisoners of an institution to be ...
''Kentucky'', 2012 *
Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...
– "'", 2015 * Windborne – Song on the Times, 2017 * The Trigger Code – ''Black Mountain White Lake Vol. 1'', 2019 *
S.G. Goodman S.G. Goodman is an American folk and country singer-songwriter from Hickman, Kentucky. She has released three studio albums, ''Old Time Feeling'' in 2020, ''Teeth Marks'' in 2022, and Planting by the Signs, ''Planting by the Signs'' in 2025, and r ...
– ''Which Side Are You On?'', 2020 * Birds on a Wire – ''Ramages'', 2020 * Linqua Franqa – ''Wurk'', 2022 * Argyris Nikolaou (Αργύρης Νικολάου) - "Διάλεξε Πλευρά" (Choose a Side), 2014, in Greek * Willi Carlisle – ''The Magnolia Sessions,'' 2024


Other versions

*
Rebel Diaz Rebel Diaz is a political hip hop duo out of New York City and Chicago consisting of the Chilean brothers Rodrigo Venegas (known as RodStarz) and Gonzalo Venegas (known as G1). Rebel Diaz uses their music as an organizing tool and to spread kno ...
made a remix of the song. *
Billy Bragg Stephen William Bragg (born 20 December 1957) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, author and political activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, with lyrics that mostly span political or romantic th ...
– ''
Between the Wars (EP) ''Between the Wars'' is an extended play released by Billy Bragg in 1985. It reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart. The title track was inspired by the UK miners' strike (1984–1985). The choice of other songs on the record was also relev ...
'', in 1985, albeit with different lyrics altogether. This referred to the British miners' strike of 1984–85. *
Frederic Rzewski Frederic Anthony Rzewski ( ; April 13, 1938 – June 26, 2021) was an American composer and pianist, considered to be one of the most important American composer-pianists of his time. From 1977 up to his eventual death, he lived mainly in Be ...
composed a ballad for solo piano based on the song. * Christian Wolff in ''String Quartet Exercises Out of Songs'' (1974) * B. Dolan – sampled the Almanac Singers in his 2012 version on the album ''House of Bees Vol. 2'' * Hugh Blumenfeld has been performing a medley of "Which Side Are You On?", updated with modernized lyrics, and
This Land is Your Land "This Land Is Your Land" is a song by American folk singer Woody Guthrie. One of the United States' most famous folk songs, its lyrics were written in 1940 in critical response to Irving Berlin's " God Bless America". Its melody is based on a ...
. * In response to the fatal shooting of Michael Brown protesters briefly interrupted a performance of the
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1880 by Joseph Otten as the St. Louis Choral Society, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest professional symphony or ...
with the Requiem for Mike Brown, which began as "Which Side Are You On?" *
Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...
in "Which Side Are You On" (featuring
Tef Poe Kareem Jackson, known by his stage name Tef Poe, is an American rapper, musician and activist. Early life Poe was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Career Tef Poe is one of the co-founders of the Hands Up United movement. Tef Poe has advocate ...
& Kendra Ross), sampled with the "Requiem for Mike Brown"
documentary video)
. *
Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...
recorded "Which Side Are You On" on ''Outlasting the Blues'' in 1979. The chorus and melody were similar, but the verses had more of a Biblical / Gospel meaning. * Civil Rights Movement activists adapted their own version. *
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, author and television host. According to ''Rolling Stone'', Costello "reinvigorated the literate, lyrical ...
&
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
On Another Day Another Time, Celebrating The Music of 'Inside Llewyn Davis' *
Sarah Lee Guthrie Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch, prophet, and major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pious woma ...
, daughter of
Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...
and granddaughter of
Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (; July 14, 1912 – October 3, 1967) was an American singer, songwriter, and composer widely considered to be one of the most significant figures in American folk music. His work focused on themes of American Left, A ...
, performed a version of the song with new lyrics at a
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
rally in 2020. *The words and melody of the refrain were the basis of the song, " Sag mir wo du stehst," one of the most well-known songs of the GDR's song movement of the late 1960s. It was recorded by Oktoberklub. *
Megan Slankard Megan Slankard (born June 6, 1983) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. Early life Megan Slankard was born on June 6, 1983 in Tracy, California. Slankard began learning the guitar when she was 10 years old. At age 17, Slankard produced ...
remixed the song in 2020 keeping the chorus but changing the verses to be related to candidate
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
.


Appearances


In other media

* Director
Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a retiredhttps://variety.com/2024/film/global/ken-loach-retirement-the-old-oak-jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-1235956589/ English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views ar ...
used the title for his 1984 documentary on the music and poetry written about the miners' strike in Britain of that year. * ''Which Side'' is a political podcast that took its name from the title of this song. *
Alessandro Portelli Alessandro Portelli (born July 8, 1942) is an Italian scholar of American literature and culture, oral historian, writer for the daily newspaper ''il manifesto'', and musicologist. He is a professor of Anglo-American literature at the University o ...
's book ''They Say in Harlan County: An Oral History'' (Oxford University Press, 2010) takes its title from a line of the song. Another book by John W. Hevener, ''Which Side Are You On? The Harlan County Coal Miners, 1931–39'' (University of Illinois Press, 2002) is also titled after the song. * '' Get Up, Stand Up: The Story of Pop and Protest'' part 1, 2003 documentary. * The song plays during the end credits of the 2016 drama ''
In Dubious Battle ''In Dubious Battle'' is a novel by John Steinbeck, written in 1936. The central figure of the story is an activist attempting to organize abused laborers in order to gain fair wages and working conditions. Prior to publication, Steinbeck wrot ...
''. * The song, Florence Reece, and the Harlan miner's strike feature in episode 2 of ''
Damnation Damnation (from Latin '' damnatio'') is the concept of divine punishment after death for sins that were committed, or in some cases, good actions not done, on Earth. In Ancient Egyptian religious tradition, it was believed that citizens woul ...
''. * The song plays at the end of episode 6 of season one of the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
series ''
Succession Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...
'', also entitled "
Which Side Are You On? "Which Side Are You On?" is a song written in 1931 by activist Florence Reece, who was the wife of Sam Reece, a union organizer for the United Mine Workers in Harlan County, Kentucky. Background In 1931, miners and mine owners in southeaster ...
". * In 2018, "Which side are you on?", along with "
The whole world is watching "The whole world is watching" was a phrase chanted by anti-Vietnam War demonstrators as they were beaten and arrested by police outside the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The event occurred and ...
", was written on a large poster held so as to protect, by blocking the view, protestors tearing down the statue of ''
Silent Sam The Confederate Monument, University of North Carolina, commonly known as ''Silent Sam'', is a bronze statue of a Confederate soldier by Canadian sculptor John A. Wilson, which once stood on McCorkle Place of the University of North Carolin ...
'', a Confederate monument, at the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...
. * The song played in an advert for former U.S President candidate
Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
during the
2020 Democratic Primaries Presidential primaries and caucuses were organized by the Democratic Party to select delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention to determine the party's nominee for president in the 2020 election. The primaries and caucuses took p ...
.


References


External links


"History of American Protest Music: Which Side Are You On?"
from
Longreads Automattic Inc. is an American global distributed company most notable for WordPress.com and its contributions to the WordPress system. The company was founded in 2005. Automattic's brands and products include WordPress.com, Akismet, Grav ...
{{Authority control 1931 songs Songs against capitalism Songs based on American history Songs written by Florence Reece Trade union songs Billy Bragg songs Harlan County, Kentucky Socialist songs