Music

Our music is tailored to each event, and may include a mix of “performance” songs from the street brand tradition, activist “sing-along” classics, and “chant-backing”, where the instruments of the band provide acoustic backing to the voices of marchers.  With enough advance notice, we can often learn action-specific or movement-specific songs and chants in advance.

Resources:

Our Main Musical Resource:  

BABAM!book

(a set of instrument-specific pages meant for quick smartphone peeking or printout of the dozen songs we play the most)

 Playalong Videos (courtesy of the JP Honk band)

Other Songs we sometimes play:

Respect

You Don’t Wanna Go To War (Rebirth Brass Band, arr. What Cheer)

Bella Ciao  – playalong video

You Move You Lose         Funkin’ It Up
                      Do Whatcha Wanna
             Tracksuit
Grazin’ in the Grass

(need charts for Montserrat, Thousand Island)

“Gracias a la abuela”

 Amazing Grace, Closer Walk, I’ll Fly Away from Ryan V

Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round – all parts ( Vocals / Other Vocals )

 

LYRICS

Note: these are some of our “standard” lyrics.  We often change them appropos of the cause we are rallying for.

This Little Light of Mine (Bb)

  1. This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine (x3), Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
  2. Don’t you blow my little light out, I’m going to let it shine (x3), Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
  3. Everywhere I go, I’m going to let it shine (x3), Let it shine, let it shine, let shine

When the Saints Go Marching In (F)

(often we change to “before the earth , before the earth, before the earth gets way too hot – i’m gonna fight for climate justice, before the earth gets way too hot)
1. Oh, when the saints go marching in
Oh, when the saints go marching in
Lord, how I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

2. And when the sun refuse to shine
3. And when the band begins to play

Down by the Riverside (Bb)

(Often we change this to “Gonna build hydropower, down by the riverside”, maybe add solar power, and wind power… with chorus ‘ain’t gonna burn that coal no more’)

  1. I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield
    Down by the riverside, down by the riverside, down by the riverside
    I’m gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by the riverside, down by the riverside!  (Chorus: I  ain’t gonna study war no more, etc)
  2.  I’m gonna try on my long white robe, etc     (Chorus)
  3.  I’m gonna lay down my killer drones, etc    (Chorus)

Lyric Sheet for “March For Our Lives”

Poor People’s Campaign Songbook PGPC 40 Days v1