graymouser
6th December 2011, 15:08
I was at a labor protest (in support of Occupy Philly) a few weeks ago, and we sang "Solidarity Forever" a bunch of times, I was told to get up on stage at one point because I know all the lyrics. But it bothered me that they don't sing parts of it. They skip verse 2:
Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite,
Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?
Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?
For the union makes us strong.
and verse 4:
All the world that's owned by idle drones is ours and ours alone.
We have laid the wide foundations; built it skyward stone by stone.
It is ours, not to slave in, but to master and to own.
While the union makes us strong.
The old Wobbly music is deeply important to me as a radical, and I think it's a travesty that one of the best songs has had the heart cut out of it. Next time I get a chance, we are singing all six verses.
I've also been thinking about what other songs, particularly old Little Red Songbook songs, I could get people doing in a similar situation. I'm not a Wobbly but the music sticks with me. I've been thinking it'd be fun to teach the simple "Dump the Bosses Off Your Backs" - does anybody have any ideas on other choices?
Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite,
Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?
Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?
For the union makes us strong.
and verse 4:
All the world that's owned by idle drones is ours and ours alone.
We have laid the wide foundations; built it skyward stone by stone.
It is ours, not to slave in, but to master and to own.
While the union makes us strong.
The old Wobbly music is deeply important to me as a radical, and I think it's a travesty that one of the best songs has had the heart cut out of it. Next time I get a chance, we are singing all six verses.
I've also been thinking about what other songs, particularly old Little Red Songbook songs, I could get people doing in a similar situation. I'm not a Wobbly but the music sticks with me. I've been thinking it'd be fun to teach the simple "Dump the Bosses Off Your Backs" - does anybody have any ideas on other choices?