Award-winning Toronto singer-songwriter and extraordinary storyteller Tyler Ellis has crafted a new single, “Union Song,” that serves as a tonic for our troubled times. It’s the first single from his ninth album to date, Hardwarestore, coming out in June. “Union Song” is out on April 24th and available on all major platforms.
A heartfelt anthem of unity in the face of division, with a small but powerful choir of voices emphasizing the point, “Union Song” channels the spirit of the late, great Woody Guthrie, as we face current times of hellish late-stage capitalism. As Ellis sings, “I got my brothers and my brothers got me, I got my sisters and my sisters got me,” he champions the idea that “there are no others, there’s just us,” people of “every shade and every hue.” He’s not only amplifying the idea of strength in numbers but pointing to a path forward for peace on a global scale.
“It’s not just about unions and protests,” says Ellis. “It’s about people in general coming together, and working side by side for the common good. In the end, we’re all brothers and sisters. who can stand together and help each other.”
Review
Tyler Ellis delivers a clear and purposeful statement with “Union Song,” a track that feels more like a rallying cry than a passive listen. The repeated chorus — “got my brothers and my brothers got me / got my sisters and my sisters got me” — drives the message home, turning unity into something you can’t ignore.
The lyrics stay grounded in real-world struggle, from factory walkouts to the fight for fair wages, while expanding into something bigger with “there is no other, there’s just us.” It’s not just about labour — it’s about collective strength across all communities.
There’s no subtlety here, and that’s the point. “Union Song” is direct, urgent, and rooted in protest tradition, delivering a message that’s simple and hard to shake: we stand together, or not at all.