I've got a sort of research project for you. (And a poem, and four versions of a song)

I made this post over at Slacktivist:

Random thought, I wouldn't do it because I'm not an instigator, agitator, or organizer (I'm boring) but "Joe Hill" (the Alfred Hayes poem[1] set to music, not the ballad) might be a good funerary thing.  And it's not like you don't have options for singers.   Paul Robeson[2], Joan Baez[3], Pete Seeger[4], and so on.

I can't remember who said that they started singing it because they were working in Australia and they noticed someone coming to every show and asked if that person had a request, and the person did but the singer didn't know it that well and offered to sing something similar and the person explained that he'd been working on the Sydney Opera House during construction when an American came by so he could give the first performance (Opera House wasn't nearly finished, so presumably no one else had done a performance there yet) and sang to the workers and the American sang that song and he, the requester, had been waiting [however many] years for an American to come to Australia and sing that song again so it really did have to be that song.

I did, however, find the first time the requester heard it, at the performance done for the workers at the opera house[5].  As you might expect, Paul Robeson was the performer.

The reason for discussion of funerary songs is the main post and ongoing in the comments.  Still Alive[6], for example, got a mention as what someone wants played at their funeral.

Now, research project is simple, who was it that got their start singing Joe Hill at the request of an Australian who had been waiting years for an encore to Paul Robeson's Sydney Opera House construction site performance?  Who was it, when did they tell the story, cite sources where possible.

Nevermind. After never being able to find it I tried again. Got nothing. Fiddled around, got this post, fiddled some more, found it:

Singer's name was John McCutcheon, transcript to the best of my abilities:

I was doin' a tour in Australia.  And I finished up with three nights in this wonderful old place in Melbourne, and all three nights sat the same guy.  He was this older guy about 65, maybe 53.  He was unmistakable because it was the end of summer there and it was hot, this place didn't have any air conditioning, and he had a pair of these short shorts on and this sleeveless t-shirt with tattoos all up and down his arm and this bad haircut, and he had big plug of chewin' tobacco shoved in the side of his cheek.  And he was absolutely the most enthusiastic audience member I've had the pleasure of playing for.

Well the third night a bunch of my musical friends from all over Australia came in to Melbourne and they were goin' to have a big party for me.  And so during the intermission I used that as a ploy to not sequester myself back in the dressing room but come out and hang out at the edge of the stage.  The real reason of course was that I wanted to meet this guy, and he didn't disappoint me.

He walked right up to me and he said, "John, I hope you don't think I'm being forward or nothing, but I sure would like to hear a song.  Make a request."

I said, "Buddy, you have earned the right.  I'll sing anything you want, as long as I know it."  And he asked for this next song.  And I said, "Well, gosh, I know that song but I've never preformed it.  There is a difference.  How about if I sing something that's very much like it?  That'll be better."

And he said, "No."

He said, "It's gotta be that other song, and I'll tell you why."  He said, "I'm an electrician by trade, and the biggest job I ever did in my whole life was I helped build the Sydney Opera House."

Now even those of you who have never been to Australia have seen at least photographs of the Sydney Opera House.  It's the architectural pride and joy of the continent.  It swoops out into Sydney harbor.  It's a magnificent white gull-like building.

And he said, "You know there were hundreds of us working on that thing and it took us years to build.  Well we were about half way into building it when one day this big black limousine shows up on the construction site and out steps a gigantic black man.  Wearing a tuxedo.  Not the kinda thing we were used to seeing.

"And he started introducing himself around, turns out he was an American opera singer.  Real friendly guy, just a regular guy.  And he been doing a concert tour of Australia and he was all done.  He was ready to go home, just like you are John, and he heard about the Sydney Opera House and he decided he wanted to be the very first person to ever give a concert on the site of the Sydney Opera House

"And he called us all down, an' of course we all came. Hundreds of us.  Plumbers, masons, carpenters, electricians like me, sitting around on scaffolding and sand bags and all around on the ground.

"And this guy, this guy sang for like two hours.  And it was fantastic.  His voice filled the harbor.  And he sang this as his last song, and we all knew it.  And you know without even being invited we started to join in and sing.  And guys that I'd, guys that I'd grown up with, I'd worked with all my life were singing away like they were in church with big tears rolling down their cheeks.

"And it was just one of the greatest days of my life.  And I have been waiting for 20 years for another American to come over here and sing that song.  And no, I'm sorry, another song won't do."

Well I was mighty grateful to that fella for coaxing this song back for me.

The fella who stepped out of that limousine and into that guy's memory so long ago was Paul Robeson.  And I read recently that that Australian tour was one of his final international concert tours.  So I guess you could say that guy got to see the last concerts on one of the last tours.

And this has always been one of my favorite Robeson songs.

[Version of lyrics in footnote.[7]]

-

[1]"I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night"

by Alfred Hayes

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night
Alive as you or me
Says I, But Joe, you're ten years dead
I never died, says he
I never died, says 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
Joe says, What they forgot to kill
Went on to organize
Went on to organize

Joe Hill ain't dead, he says to me
Joe Hill ain't never died
Where working men are out on strike
Joe Hill is at their side
Joe Hill is at their side

From San Diego up to Maine
In every mine and mill
Where workers strike and organize
Says he, You'll find Joe Hill
Says he, You'll find Joe Hill

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night
Alive as you or me
Says I, But Joe, you're ten years dead
I never died, says he
I never died, says he

(At least I think that's the original poem.)

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For myself I always prefer the ASL video of the song:

Credit goes to Will Wildman to pointing me to it.

[7]

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night
Alive as you or me
Says I, But Joe, you're ten years dead
I never died, says he
I never died, says he

The copper bosses, they killed you, Joe
They shot you, Joe, says I
It 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 could never kill
Went on to organize
Went on to organize

From San Diego up to Maine
In every mine and mill
Where workers fight to win their rights
It's there you'll find Joe Hill
It's there you'll find Joe Hill

[Sing it with me]

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night
Alive as you or me
Says I, But Joe, you're ten years dead
I never died, says he
I never died, says he

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