Nothing brings people together better than music. For unions to be successful they needed numbers. In order for all of those people to be able to work together to achieve better wages and conditions, they needed something that they could bond over.

Now that the workers had something that can bond with, they also needed a way to spread the message. This is where music comes in. The lyrics would spread the message of what members of the unions needed to do in order to get their work conditions changes. Music also gave the workers a chance to describe what their lives were like in their jobs.

For people who worked in the mines, music was also a way to earn more money. In Chapter 4, it talked about how Stoneman earned more money playing with his band than he would in the coal mines or being a millsman.

Music was also a part of other political movement after the labor strikes. There were songs that protested the wars. This was very common with the hippie movement of the 60’s and the Vietnam War. Many artists like Bob Dylan sing about peace. Artists like Jimi Hendrix sing about what it was like to be a soldier, for example “All Along the Watchtower.” Songs were also important during the Civil Rights movement. Black churches were very involved with the peaceful protests occurred during this period. It is only fitting that Gospel songs were a huge part of the Civil Rights Movement.