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While the song manages to highlight the exploitation and disparity of the working class, the same people singing, they find comfort in knowing that the union is there. The workers find comfort in knowing that there is strength in numbers/ working together. Although, I’d like to argue that the song’s failure to define exactly what the union is doing for them leaves the rest of us feeling like our struggle is being brushed under the rug.

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Strength in numbers, the belief that workers deserve more, and the power that workers withhold; what do these ideas have in common? They’re the most important class consciousness beliefs that the song attempts to promote through striking lyrics.

The song begins with the verse, “When the union’s inspiration through the workers’ blood shall run, there can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun; yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one.” The song attempts to instill the idea that the workers are all in the same boat and they hold a power no greater than any other: Unionization.

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The most important class consciousness beliefs that the song is attempting to instill in its audience is: That the class which exploits you depends on the labor and/or collective resources produced by those in your social class to achieve their wealth and comfort. Throughout the song multiple references are made about the labor the workers put in to create this society but they can’t reep the benefits from it. In the original version of the song a verse says “ Now we stand outcast and starving midst the wonders we have made”. I feel out of all the verses in the song this one is the strongest to support my class consciousness belief. The essent of this verse  reminds me of a group project, there will be one kid (workers) that put in so much time and effort to create a good project (soceity/world) and then the other members ( different classes) will take the credit for it.  If it wasn’t for one classes labor than the society that the other classes benefits from wouldn’t exists, the comfort they are used to they would’ve never known.

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One of the most important class consciousness messages is through understanding that the more of you act collectively, the harder it will be for those exploiting you to target you individually, in the song it says “ Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one, but the union makes us strong” meaning that the force of many is stronger than a singular individual. The big reason why the union is able to even compete against a stronger individual of one, is because of the big numbers that the union is able to gain. If it were only one of us exploiting the company, they would’ve taken care of the problem real quick by either replacing you or giving you a small raise.

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The song is clearly trying to instill a sense of unity and a collective struggle amongst working class individuals. It also urges the audience to recognize the inequalities they’re facing. For example, the lyrics emphasize how they put so much into their community, but don’t get to enjoy it. “Dug the mines and built the workshops, endless miles of railroad laid; Now we stand outcast and starving midst the wonders we have made;” This demonstrates the disparity between the labor provided and the rewards they receive

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The song keeps bringing up the idea that unity is what makes workers strong. Like in the line, “But the union makes us strong,” which is repeated a lot. I feel like that repetition is meant to remind people of this idea, almost like saying it over and over will make them believe it more, like how people repeat phrases to try to keep something in their mind or boost their confidence. I think the song is talking directly to workingclass people who are being taken advantage of by their rich bosses. It even calls the bosses “the greedy parasite” and says they try to “lash us into serfdom.” It’s almost as if the song is trying to get workers to notice how unfair things are and do something about it, for example, the songs (especially the newer version) mention how the bosses exploit the workers.

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I think the beliefs the song was attempting to show the audience is the divide and conquer strategy the upper class use to divide workers and ultimately crush any opposition workers may try, I believed this specifically because in verse 2 it says “Divide us in color, Divide us in Gender & Divide us in tongues” showing that the upper class in order to crackdown on any strikes uses mind games in order to manipulate workers against one another.

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For example, the line, “Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one…” this line highlights the idea that one individual cannot fight by themselves against power, but together that power can be defeated. The message is important because it empowers workers to see themselves as part of a larger movement capable of challenging and changing their current state.

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Therefore, you share fundamental interests with other individuals who are part of the same social class as you. People being exploited or not being in a safe environment at their workplace, others might not be  treated the same and the interest that they share might be able to fight for better things like getting a safer place to work, get a good payment, and or treated them with respect and equality. They are right when they say “ But without our brain and muscle not a single wheel can turn” for me it's saying that the companies can’t continue to elaborate without workers because they are the ones who most of the time make the companies work, without them no company can function and they can go out of business.

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The whole song is about unity but as you apply it to class consciousness it gets more specific just like in the newer song with the newer verses.  The most prominent element of class consciousness is an understanding that the more of you act collectively, the harder it will be for those exploiting you to target you individually. Chaplin states; “ They divide us by our color, they divide us by our tongue, They divide us men and women, they divide us old and young;But they'll tremble at our voices when they hear these verses sung,"