Song of the Season: “The Paper Heart” (Si Kahn)

This song appeared in the Fall 2009 print edition of Paper Heart (Issue #1).

There's a long, long line of people
Trying to keep from crying
There's always someone dying
But today's just not the same
There's a man shot dead in Utah
With a paper heart pinned on him
Framed up without pardon
I guess you know his name.

CHORUS:
Well, you say you saw him out last night
But I hear him every day
In the voices of the people
In the songs they sing and play
They framed him up and they shot him down
This whole wide world's his burying ground
But the songs of the working people
Are his marking stone.

If heaven is One Big Union
I know that's where I'll find him
Playing cards with Big Bill Haywood
Telling jokes with Mother Jones
Casey Jones and long-haired preachers
Mr. Block and Scissor Bill
"Sent to hell a-flying"
By songs no one can kill.

(REPEAT CHORUS)

The Naming of the Paper Heart

By Josh Keogh and Mike Pesa

This article originally appeared in the Fall 2009 print edition of Paper Heart (Issue #1).

On April 29th 2009 the Baltimore General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World gathered at the 2640 Collective Event Space. Workers prepared and shared a wonderful meal and much conversation. At the large inter-industry gathering, the workers discussed the creation of this the first issue of our branch newsletter. A lively discussion and brainstorming session followed about what to name our publication. After much debate the name “The Paper Heart”won the support of the majority of workers present.

“The Paper Heart” is a reference to a song written by Si Kahn appearing on the Smithsonian Folkways Recording: “Don't Mourn-Organize!: Songs Of Labor Songwriter Joe Hill”, which recounts state execution of the famed IWW bard Joe Hill. The immigrant song-writer and labor agitator was framed on a murder charge by Utah authorities. Despite worldwide protests and even the intervention of President Woodrow Wilson, Hill was executed by a firing squad on November 19, 1915. It is said that on the day that he was to die, Joe Hill pinned a paper heart to his chest--so they would know where to aim, Joe said. We dedicate this issue to that spirit of resistance that Fellow Worker Hill so beautifully exemplified.

Welcome to Paper Heart's blog!

Welcome to the brand new blog version of Paper Heart! Paper Heart is the official newsletter of the Baltimore General Membership Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), a militant, democratic rank-and-file labor union founded in 1905 and currently organizing for workers' rights and empowerment in several countries around the world.

The newsletter was first envisioned as a quarterly print publication. However, we recently decided to change the format of our newsletter to a semi-annual print edition along with this blog, which will be updated continuously as new submissions arrive.

This publication’s mission is to spread the word about the IWW as well as to share our stories of work and life, express our individuality while being part of a larger organization, and discuss how to bring about a new world from the ashes of the old. We encourage submissions from IWW members and supporters, including labor-related news, anecdotes, opinion pieces, photos, cartoons, artwork and creative writing. Submissions should generally be less than 1,000 words (especially if you want them to be considered for the print edition) and can be sent to paperheart.baltimore@gmail.com

Over the next few days, we will post some selected stories from the first (and so far, the only) print edition of Paper Heart. Then, as new submissions are received, we will publish them here. Stay tuned for updates!

For the One Big Union,

The Paper Heart editorial committee of the Baltimore IWW