Which song became popular among workers during the Wheelbarrow Days?

“Ah! ça ira” became popular among workers during the Wheelbarrow Days. It began as a catchy work song while volunteers prepared the Champ de Mars for the Fête de la Fédération in 1790 and later became one of the Revolution’s best-known songs.

The refrain means roughly “It’ll be fine” or “It will work out.” Its melody came from a popular contredanse air, while the words were associated with Ladré, a former soldier and street singer. The phrase was also linked to Benjamin Franklin, whose reported expression “Ça ira” had become familiar in France.

The song’s meaning changed as the Revolution radicalized. Its early version expressed confidence and popular enthusiasm, but later verses became openly political and hostile to aristocratic opponents. That evolution is why “Ah! ça ira” is often remembered as a revolutionary anthem rather than merely a construction song. It should not be confused with “La Marseillaise,” which was written in 1792 and later became France’s national anthem.