UFW CD Introduction Page

“This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin’ it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don't give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that's all we wanted to do." Woody Guthrie

Introduction by Jan Peterson

Researching the history of the origins of many of these songs was quite a revelation. I was astounded to discover while many songs were created by the Teatro Campesino and others specifically during the UFW strikes, some of the songs had a much older history. How was it possible that a Civil War marching song became the anthem of the labor movement, fifty years later? That songs sung in church ended up on the picket line? That gospels from the deep South ended up in Spanish in the Southwest? As you read below, you will discover these connections.

I think, as well, you will see how for many of us, these songs were the life-blood of our work with the Farm Workers’ Union . There were many times on the UFW picket lines that songs were all that we had. When the growers lined up with their goons and their guns, with their arsenal of political and economic and social power that they wielded without compunction; with their squad cars and their pick-up trucks, and their tractor-trailers and the scabs that they had brought from far away; there we stood: we sang. We sang when we were sad or discouraged; we sang when we were angry or defiant; we sang when we were proud; we sang to lift our spirits.

And we carried that singing with us everywhere: to meeting halls, to cities, to other countries, even to other continents. Many of these songs have traveled--just as farm workers have always done--from one generation to another; from one race to another; from one time to another; from one worker to another—to weave themselves into a single thread of truth; a soaring of the human spirit—a laughing, irreverent, spirit, at times— determined, in the face of the greatest odds, to take a stand for human dignity.

So now, once again, after all of these years, we have come together to sing again, and to celebrate those times and the songs that were born during the farm worker struggle.

Jan Peterson

Comments by Terry Scott

This recording project has been tremendously fun and uplifting. It’s been a real treat to rediscover these songs, most of which I haven’t sung since leaving the UFW 17 years ago. The amazing thing to me is how powerfully they still resonate― there is so much emotion and spirit and humor in them! Sadly, a lot of what you hear on the radio today values form over substance. Music has gotten away from being about real people; that’s the great thing about Woody Guthrie songs, and songs inspired by hard times. You can feel the difference in your gut: they are coming out of a real experience, and although there are still musicians currently writing songs with that frame of reference, their music is, for the most part, flying under the radar of the general population. But these songs, and the larger tradition of expressing the heartfelt ups and downs of life through music, are so important. Making this CD was truly a labor of love, and I feel very happy that we’ve been able to contribute to keeping this music alive for the generations yet to come.

There is an undeniable bond that exists between those of us who were part of the UFW family. It’s been wonderful to see old friends again and to meet some new folks who shared the experience of working for the union but whom I did not know personally before this project. We all love the songs, and coming together to record this CD has reminded me in so many ways of my days in the Union . Remember those assignments where we literally had no idea how we were going pull it off? Huge undertakings with seemingly impossible deadlines where we “flew by the seat of our pants” since we were making it up as we went along? Recording this CD had a lot of those same challenging aspects—most of the folks who participated had no experience recording music before. We came together over 4 weekends— people traveled from all over the state and jumped right into this project with the same creativity, enthusiasm, and “Si Se Puede” attitude that characterized so many of the UFW organizing campaigns. And, I hope that we’ve managed to adequately capture the spirit of these songs. We definitely shared a lot of laughter and had a good time recording them.

With much love and thanks to all who contributed their talents to this CD, and to LeRoy Chatfield for asking us to do it! Viva la Causa!

The UFW: Songs and Stories Sung and Told by UFW Volunteers “This song is Copyrighted in U.S., under Seal of Copyright # 154085, for a period of 28 years, and anybody caught singin’ it without our permission, will be mighty good friends of ourn, cause we don't give a dern. Publish it. Write it. Sing it. Swing to it. Yodel it. We wrote it, that's all we wanted to do." Woody Guthrie Introduction by Jan Peterson Researching the history of the origins of many of these songs was quite a revelation. I was astounded to discover while many songs were created by the Teatro Campesino and others specifically during the UFW strikes, some of the songs had a much older history. How was it possible that a Civil War marching song became the anthem of the labor movement, fifty years later? That songs sung in church ended up on the picket line? That gospels from the deep South ended up in Spanish in the Southwest? As you read below, you will discover these connections. I think, as well, you will see how for many of us, these songs were the life-blood of our work with the Farm Workers’ Union . There were many times on the UFW picket lines that songs were all that we had. When the growers lined up with their goons and their guns, with their arsenal of political and economic and social power that they wielded without compunction; with their squad cars and their pick-up trucks, and their tractor-trailers and the scabs that they had brought from far away; there we stood: we sang. We sang when we were sad or discouraged; we sang when we were angry or defiant; we sang when we were proud; we sang to lift our spirits. And we carried that singing with us everywhere: to meeting halls, to cities, to other countries, even to other continents. Many of these songs have traveled--just as farm workers have always done--from one generation to another; from one race to another; from one time to another; from one worker to another—to weave themselves into a single thread of truth; a soaring of the human spirit—a laughing, irreverent, spirit, at times— determined, in the face of the greatest odds, to take a stand for human dignity. So now, once again, after all of these years, we have come together to sing again, and to celebrate those times and the songs that were born during the farm worker struggle. Jan Peterson Comments by Terry Scott This recording project has been tremendously fun and uplifting. It’s been a real treat to rediscover these songs, most of which I haven’t sung since leaving the UFW 17 years ago. The amazing thing to me is how powerfully they still resonate― there is so much emotion and spirit and humor in them! Sadly, a lot of what you hear on the radio today values form over substance. Music has gotten away from being about real people; that’s the great thing about Woody Guthrie songs, and songs inspired by hard times. You can feel the difference in your gut: they are coming out of a real experience, and although there are still musicians currently writing songs with that frame of reference, their music is, for the most part, flying under the radar of the general population. But these songs, and the larger tradition of expressing the heartfelt ups and downs of life through music, are so important. Making this CD was truly a labor of love, and I feel very happy that we’ve been able to contribute to keeping this music alive for the generations yet to come. There is an undeniable bond that exists between those of us who were part of the UFW family. It’s been wonderful to see old friends again and to meet some new folks who shared the experience of working for the union but whom I did not know personally before this project. We all love the songs, and coming together to record this CD has reminded me in so many ways of my days in the Union . Remember those assignments where we literally had no idea how we were going pull it off? Huge undertakings with seemingly impossible deadlines where we “flew by the seat of our pants” since we were making it up as we went along? Recording this CD had a lot of those same challenging aspects—most of the folks who participated had no experience recording music before. We came together over 4 weekends— people traveled from all over the state and jumped right into this project with the same creativity, enthusiasm, and “Si Se Puede” attitude that characterized so many of the UFW organizing campaigns. And, I hope that we’ve managed to adequately capture the spirit of these songs. We definitely shared a lot of laughter and had a good time recording them. With much love and thanks to all who contributed their talents to this CD, and to LeRoy Chatfield for asking us to do it! Viva la Causa!
	Terry Scott