That's a one-minute trailer for a remarkable thirty-minute film available through Folkstreams.net. The movie is called Gandy Dancers, and you can stream it live on your computer. (Another great thing to do instead of getting work done.) Gandy Dancers were railroad workers, almost exclusively African-American, who used music -- including spiritual, nonsensical, and raunchy songs -- to coordinate their track work. Long-retired workers not only explain how the whole thing worked to both practically synchronize movements and inspire very tired guys, but they demonstrate, as old men, what they did as young workers. It's about a half-hour long; watch it if you get the chance.
Hat-tip to Metafilter.
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