Long haired preachers come out every night,
Try to tell you what's wrong and what's right;
But when asked how 'bout something to eat,
They will answer with voices so sweet:

You will eat, bye and bye,
In that glorious land above the sky:
Work and pray, live on hay,
You'll get pie in the sky when you die.

Workingmen of all countries unite;
Side by side we for freedom will fight.
When the world and its wealth we have gained
to the grafters we'll sing this refrain:

You will eat, bye and bye,
When you've learned to cook and fry;
Chop some wood, t'will do you good,
And you'll eat in the sweet bye bye.
Joe Hill (A song written for the Spokane Free Speech Fight of 1910)

BLACK NOVEMBER [Ralph H. Chaplin 1887 - 1961]

Red November, black November.
Bleak November, black and red;
Hallowed month of Labor's martyrs,
Labor's heroes, Labor's dead.
Labor's hope and wrath and sorrow -
Red the promise, Black the threat;
Who are we not to remember?
Who are we to dare forget!
Black and red the colors blended.
Black and red the pledge we made;
Red, until the fight is ended,
Black, until the debt is paid.

The Red Flag -- By James Connell

The workers' flag is deepest red,
It shrouded oft our martyred dead;
And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold
Their life-blood dyed its every fold.
Look 'round, the Frenchman loves its blaze,
The sturdy German chants its praise;
In Moscow's vaults its hymns are sung,
Chicago swells its surging song.
It waved above our infant might
When all ahead seemed dark as night;
It witnessed many a deed and vow,
We will not change its color now.
It suits today the meek and base,
Whose minds are fixed on pelf and place;
To cringe beneath the rich man's frown,
And haul that sacred emblem down.
With heads uncovered, swear we all,
To bear it onward till we fall;
Come dungeons dark, or gallows grim,
This song shall be our parting hymn!
Then raise the scarlet standard high;
Beneath its folds we'll live and die,
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer,
We'll keep the red flag flying here.

"Workers of the world, awaken!
Break your chains. demand your rights.
All the wealth you make is taken
By exploiting parasites.
Shall you kneel in deep submission
From your cradles to your graves?
Is the height of your ambition
To be good and willing slaves?"
- Joe Hill -