May Day

The person issuing this distress call must repeat it three times to distinguish it from similar sounding words. The signal has nothing to do with the first of May, but comes from the French, venez m’aider - come, help me.

Across the world, labor activists, socialists and others have designated May 1 as a day to honor workers. It’s also known as International Workers’ Day, or Labour Day.

The International Workers of the World (aka the Wobblies), led by Big Bill Haywood, celebrated one of the first May Days. I have an affinity for guys named Big Bill.

• There is blues man, Big Bill Broonzy who copyrighted over 300 songs and is best known for his version of Key to the Highway.
• Gangster/bootlegger/gambler, Big Bill Dwyer owned the first professional ice hockey team and first NFL team in New York City.
• Roaring 20s’ tennis great, Big Bill Tilden helped popularize the sport in the US.
• Country music performer, Big Bill Lister toured with Hank Williams. Hank liked touring with Big Bill because they both loved to sneak away and go fishing between gigs.
• Big Bill Thompson, mayor of Chicago and minion of Al Capone, is known not only as the last Republican mayor of the Windy City, but also as one of the most corrupt mayors in US history.
• Big Bill Morganfield, blues guitar player is the son of the great Muddy Waters – real name McKinley Morganfield.

May Day, May Day, May Day! How did musings about the first of May segue into a rant on men nicknamed Big Bill?

Curiouser and curiouser, cried Alice– as ever BB

“All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening.” Woodrow Wilson