Part of the Union - We All Stand Together The People's Songs
Whilst The Specials Ghost Town can rightly be considered to be an angry or despairing snap-shot of the state of Britain, The Strawbs instead chose to poke fun at some of those in positions of power. Here was a jaunty take on the political conflict, a wry and humorous anthem for the strike-bound 70s.
Although the lyrics could be read as satirical of the trade union movement, the band has frequently stated that that's not the case at all. In fact the song was picked up by the trade unions and became something of an unofficial anthem for them.
In the early Seventies the British economy was suffering heavily from high rates of inflation and to curb this, the government capped pay-rises. At this time, the unions in Britain were at their most powerful and militant. Ambulance drivers, grave-diggers, civil servants and rail workers all went on strike.
