"The Popular Wobbly" | |
---|---|
Song | |
Published | 1920 |
Composer(s) | Fred Fisher |
Lyricist(s) | T-Bone Slim |
"The Popular Wobbly" is a labor song written by the Finnish-American songwriter T-Bone Slim. It is a parody of the 1917 hit "They Go Wild Simply Wild Over Me" by Joseph McCarthy and Fred Fisher. [1] [2]
"The Popular Wobbly" first appeared in the 1920 edition of the Little Red Songbook published by the Industrial Workers of the World. [1] Its title referred to the "Wobbly" nickname that was often given to IWW members. [3]
The song was revived during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Candie Carawan wrote new lyrics that told about her 1960 arrest while taking part in desegregation sit-ins in Nashville, Tennessee. [4] The Guy and Candie Carawan version is known as They Go Wild Over Me. [5] An adaptation of "The Popular Wobbly" was also included in a 1931 songbook published by radio personality Ernest Iverson. [6]
Pete Seeger, [7] Utah Phillips [1] and Joe Glazer [8] are among the well-known singers who have performed the song.
Streaming audio
Books
Lyrics
"The Popular Wobbly" | |
---|---|
Song | |
Published | 1920 |
Composer(s) | Fred Fisher |
Lyricist(s) | T-Bone Slim |
"The Popular Wobbly" is a labor song written by the Finnish-American songwriter T-Bone Slim. It is a parody of the 1917 hit "They Go Wild Simply Wild Over Me" by Joseph McCarthy and Fred Fisher. [1] [2]
"The Popular Wobbly" first appeared in the 1920 edition of the Little Red Songbook published by the Industrial Workers of the World. [1] Its title referred to the "Wobbly" nickname that was often given to IWW members. [3]
The song was revived during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Candie Carawan wrote new lyrics that told about her 1960 arrest while taking part in desegregation sit-ins in Nashville, Tennessee. [4] The Guy and Candie Carawan version is known as They Go Wild Over Me. [5] An adaptation of "The Popular Wobbly" was also included in a 1931 songbook published by radio personality Ernest Iverson. [6]
Pete Seeger, [7] Utah Phillips [1] and Joe Glazer [8] are among the well-known singers who have performed the song.
Streaming audio
Books
Lyrics