1934 Strike Song

Soundcloud. Featured on Rust Belt Ballads. To the tune of last winter was a hard one

Dm F C (I usually play this song in Em today, moving all chords up one step)
This summer’s been a hard one, Out on the picket line
Dm F C
In the kitchen and infirmary they’ve also served the time 
Dm F C
Four months now we’ve been striking, the Teamsters and the rest
Dm F C Dm 
Four months now we’ve been striking and they haven’t beat us yet

Chorus: 
F C Dm
So rise up for the union, don’t give away to gloom
Dm F C
Can’t you hear the marching feet, they’re beating out their doom
Dm F C 
Hear the young ones crying, neither sigh nor pine 
Dm F C Dm 
We’ll see that times get better when we hold that picket line 

When first that I moved out here after serving in the war
They said there’s work for every hand you never need be poor 
But the winter found us standing asking work beside the wall
There’s scarce enough to go around to keep a home at all

Remember how last winter the coal yards won their share 
And on that day back in May we won the market square 
Now they’ve got us in the holding pens to try to keep us down
They can hold us in the stockade but they’ll never hold the town

Those Citizens Alliance boys, God damn them all to hell
Likewise to Olson’s guardsmen and the city cops as well
Who shot down Ness and Belor out on the market way 
I wish I had a rifle, I would give them all the same 

The winter’s coming fast now, the stores are getting thin
Each passing dawn that’s coming on we’re closer to the win
No Legion vigilantes, no scabs anymore
We’ll win ourselves a union town this year of ‘34

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