The following was originally published by Ongoing History of Protest Songs.

“This machine kills fascists” was emblazoned on folk singer Woody Guthrie’s guitar, and he used his weapon of choice to compose timely songs of protest, which still remain relevant.

One of those tunes is “All You Fascists Bound To Lose” which Guthrie wrote in 1942. 

The song was recently reworked by the Resistance Revival Chorus and Rhiannon Giddens. It appears on the Resistance Revival Chorus’ debut album “This Joy.”

The Resistance Revival Chorus features more than 70 women and non-binary singers. They formed in the wake of the 2017 Women’s March. Since then, the group has been involved in numerous activist causes, following Guthrie’s example of using music as a tool for social change. 

Giddens, a talented multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter is also no stranger to using her art to speak out on important issues. She has played a role as a musical archivist and historian and often incorporates overlooked stories that tend to get whitewashed into her work.

She has helped to reclaim music traditions and genres in which black musicians were influential in developing but rarely get credit for.

This galvanizing collaboration is a powerful reminder of the history of anti-fascist music.

The weapon of choice could be a guitar, banjo, a voice, or any other instrument, and it’s refreshing to see that we have an army of musicians playing their part in helping to defeat fascists.  

Listen to “All You Fascists Bound To Lose” by Resistance Revival Chorus with Rhiannon Giddens: