A familiar song for me. I have it on one of my Irish CD's. It's called "Joe Hill". And as you mentioned, also sung by Joan Baez. More info about the subject of the song from the quote/link as follows: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Hill
A praise poem by Alfred Hayes became the lyrics of the best-known song about Joe Hill, written in 1936 by Earl Robinson. This was sung so beautifully by Joan Baez at Woodstock in 1969: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX7M9psH0rMJoe Hill, born Joel Emmanuel Hägglund in Gävle, Sweden, and also known as Joseph Hillström was a Swedish-American labor activist, songwriter, and member of the Industrial Workers of the World.
and a later version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR6SMAJQW8Y
Joe Hill
words by Alfred Hayes
music by Earl Robinson
I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
Alive as you and me.
Says I “But Joe, you’re ten years dead”
“I never died” said he,
“I never died” said he.
“In Salt Lake, Joe,” says I to him,
him standing by my bed,
“They framed you on a murder charge,”
Says Joe, “But I ain’t dead,”
Says Joe, “But I ain’t dead.”
“The Copper Bosses killed you Joe,
they shot you Joe” says I.
“Takes more than guns to kill a man”
Says Joe “I didn’t die”
Says Joe “I didn’t die”
And standing there as big as life
and smiling with his eyes.
Says Joe “What they can never kill
went on to organize,
went on to organize”
From San Diego up to Maine,
in every mine and mill,
where working-men defend their rights,
it’s there you find Joe Hill,
it’s there you find Joe Hill!
I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
alive as you and me.
Says I “But Joe, you’re ten years dead”
“I never died” said he,
“I never died” said he.
http://scanlyze.wordpress.com/2007/02/0 ... ast-night/
and an Australian conection: http://unionsong.com/u017.html
Joe Hill, a great organizer and poet, was executed in 1915 on a murder charge universally considered to be a frame-up.
"The Preacher and the Slave", one of his most famous songs, is also in this collection. Small packets of Hill's ashes were sent to Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) branches around the world. The packet that came to Sydney was confiscated by police who burnt it in Central Police Station!