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Ain't That News, 1965
Written by Tom Paxton
A fast-tempo acoustic folk song, in the style Bob Dylan used to practice back in the day. It's a protest song encouraging organization of works for unions and to ensure social safety services. "And they woke up and here's what they found / Their voices made a mighty big sound / Till they didn't know the meaning of fear." Unfortunately, collective action is a dirty word in America, and the corporate overlords have insured that the shallow thinkers of the rural heartland (salt of the Earth! people of the common clay!) equate it with socialism and socialism, with literal evil. All this while they scrape and starve and serve. We need more Tom Paxtons.