TIL: the phrase “pie in the sky” was coined by communists against the Salvation Army

quote:

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This phrase was coined by the Swedish-American activist, Joe Hill in 1911 when criticizing the Salvation Army’s philosophy especially their concentration on saving the souls of the hungry rather than feeding them. He used it in one of his songs while leading a radical labour organization.

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quote:

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The phrase is originally from the song “The Preacher and the Slave” (1911) by Swedish-American labor activist and songwriter Joe Hill (1879–1915), which he wrote as a parody of the Salvation Army hymn “In the Sweet By-and-By” (published 1868). The song criticizes the Salvation Army for focusing on people’s salvation rather than on their material needs:[1]

You will eat, bye and bye,
In that glorious land above the sky;
Work and pray, live on hay,
You’ll get pie in the sky when you die.

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