Contest: Songs and Chants for the Strike Line
It's easier for a crowd to join in singing if they already know the melody. (Writing the words out on big paper helps too.) The lyrics shown here, by Edwin Everhart (pictured with guitar), can be sung to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Photo courtesy of Pittsburgh Labor Choir
Music has special power to raise our morale in times of fear and grief. In the Pittsburgh Labor Choir we’ve learned that songs have their greatest power when everyone is participating, not just listening.
When the crowd takes the responsibility for chanting, or the whole assembly sings together, we feel our collective power. We may still be grieving and scared, but we’re also filled with hope. From rhythm, to morale, to endurance—to victory.
What makes a chant or song good for large-group participation? Making it consistent and predictable makes it easy for people to join in. In chants as well as songs, lots of repetition is useful—way more than you might expect.
The words can remain simple, with room to be adapted to any struggle. People will join in singing fast if you use an easy melody—and even faster if you use a melody that everyone already knows.
To get people thinking about and acting with crowd participation in mind, we decided to hold a contest for songs and chants—organized by our friends in Pittsburgh Labor Choir and other volunteers.
Since we first heard the call for a 2028 general strike, we wanted to support that ambitious goal. It’s important to aim for big victories, and win smaller victories along the way. But we invite chants and songs for the labor movement, whatever your struggle is.
With that in mind, we are pleased to announce the:
General Strike Song Contest
SUBMISSIONS
Songs and chants must be submitted in the form of a video recording, audio recording, or in writing (sheet music preferred for any original songs submitted in writing) by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, April 12. Direct links to files are strongly preferred over social media links.
CRITERIA
1. Is the chant or song broadly relevant to the theme of a general strike?
2. Is it likely that a group of 100+ people who have never heard the chant/song before can learn it quickly in the street?
3. Songs and chants that rely excessively on a single performer/leader will be disqualified.
4. The quality of recordings or transcriptions will be set aside, as much as possible, with a focus instead on the overall quality of the composition, and its potential for supporting collective action.
5. One submission per contestant, please
WINNING ENTRIES
The most successful 10-12 songs and chants will be featured in a special FREE online teach-in, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday, April 26. Recordings and written versions of all contest entries will be compiled and shared.
To register and submit your entry, visit this link.
If you would like to be involved in judging the contest, managing or organizing it, or even changing some of the details listed above, please reach out.
Edwin Everhart (MSP/NEA) and Kira Yeversky (Steelworkers Local 3657) are members of the Pittsburgh Labor Choir.
