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Miner Cuts Record: Bloody Ludlow, Song of Workers' Struggle

By VVAW

Rarely do we get records or any music that accurately reflects the feelings and aspirations of working people in this country. In the field of country & western music we occasionally get a song like "Coal Miner's Daughter" by Loretta Lynn--a proud song. But, at the same time she puts out trash like "They Don't Make Men Like My Daddy Anymore." While coal miners are fighting for a better life, this song puts out a message that in the old days the men worked hard and were happy being poor, and now they want too much.

The capitalists in this country are doing their best to create public opinion against the current miners' strike, even to coming up with a tune "Keep West Virginia Working" for the halftime of the University of West Virginia coal miner, has written an recorded a new record, "Bloody Ludlow." While the words of most songs ignore people's struggle, "Bloody Ludlow" talks about workers fighting back and winning.

In the last 100 years there have been 10 mine wars where miners have fought for the right to unionize, for better working conditions and decent wages. At Ludlow, Colorado, on Easter Sunday, April 20, 1914, a battle was fought against John D. Rockefeller's goons and his state militia. Miners, their wives and their children were massacred. After the massacre, miners picked up their guns and fought back.

The song is a tribute to these fighters. While Rockefeller owned the mines and land and the state of Colorado, the miners stood up to fight him. Hirsch sings with feeling, anger, determination and optimism and says, "We'll remember Bloody Ludlow as a miners' victory 'cause they fought back."

BLOODY LUDLOW, a 7" 33 1/3 rpm record
O.V. Hirsch, a coal miner.
Flip side: "Blood on the Tracks" by Chi-Town Fighting Machine

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