Song of the Shirt

The workers who worked in textile factories during the second industrial revolution, worked under very harsh conditions that are unimaginable in today's society. Worker health and safety regulations were non-existent. Therefore, there were no limits on how the workers were treated. The song, "Song of the Shirt," depicts the lives of women who worked in the textile factories. They sung these songs to protest against their work conditions and to just get through the day. They worked in dangerous and unhealthy environments from sunrise to sunset and were underpaid. The long hours they worked left them with their eyes  heavy and red and their fingers all weary and worn. In addition to working at the textile factories for long hours, women had to go home and tend to their families. They were worn out, but they had no choice but to continue working because they needed to make a living. From all this hard work, it got to the point where the workers were no longer afraid of death.