Lyrics:

Workers of the world, awaken!
Break your chains, demand your rights.
All the wealth you make is taken
B y exploiting parasites.
Shall you kneel in deep submission
F rom your cradles to your graves?
Is the height of your ambition
To be good and willing slaves?

Arise, ye prisoners of starvation!
Fight for your own emancipation;
Arise, ye slaves of ev’ry nation, in One Union Grand.
Our little ones for bread are crying;
And millions are from hunger dying;
The end the means is justifying,
‘Tis the final stand.

If the workers take a notion,
They can stop all speeding trains;
Every ship upon the ocean
They can tie with mighty chains;
Every wheel in the creation,
Every mine and every mill,
Fleets and armies of the nation,
Will at their command stand still.

-Chorus-

Join the union, fellow workers,
Men and women, side by side;
We will crush the greedy shirkers
Like a sweeping, surging tide;
For united we are standing,
But divided we will fall;
Let this be our understanding-
“All for one and one for all.”

-Chorus-

Workers of the world, awaken!
Rise in all your splendid might;
Take the wealth that you are making –
It belongs to you by right.
No one for bread will be crying,
We’ll have freedom, love and health,
When the grand red flag is flying
In the Worker’s commonwealth.

-Chorus-

“Workers of the World, Awaken!” was written by Joe Hill.

I’ve got those Arkansas roots,
Running through my soul.
Nightshade blooming in the moon,
And warm dirt upon the floor.

Take me to the country,
Let me set among the trees,
Feel the wind a blowin’
Bringing me to my knees.

It’s the Backbone calling,
It’s calling me home once more.
It’s breathing hot and heavy,
It’s searching for my soul.

CAWatson

She’s got the frying pan,
And she’s gonna swipe it clean,
She’s gonna tell your daddy,
Why he’s being so mean.

Head for the corners,
Head for the stairs,
She’s coming like a freight train,
Cause he’s been having affairs.

There’s a whirl wind blowin’
And her name’s Donna Sue,
Now, you better watch out,  Daddy,
She’s coming after you.

It’s way past talking,
She says she’s, “Had it up to here!”,
She’s raging and wailing,
She’s got our daddy in fear.

He’s gonna be good to Momma,
He’s saying it with his heart,
He’s gonna do some changing,
He’s gonna make a new start.

Now, Momma and Daddy,
They are loving each other so.
They say they have to do some talking,
As they close the bedroom door.

CAWatson

Tell me how,
I can ever believe,
Since you once told me,
The moon was made of cheese…

Do we no longer dance,
The waltz and the minuet?
How did we change the song?
Were we the ones to lose the bet?
Is it all a lie…Perhaps, all that’s real,
Is you and me before we met…

CAWatson

Even the whippoorwill cries,
Before it flies,
To save her young,
This is how it’s done,
Her internal survival is wise.

So, listen soft and clear,
And you may someday hear,
The moan of mother earth,
As she alone gives birth,
To help cleanse us of our fear.

CAWatson

You better grow up.
You better learn to stand tall,
Cause if you don’t,
You’ll have a hell of a fall.
There will be no one left,
No one to care at all.

I think you’re haunted,
Haunted from the past.
You’re filled with anger,
And you’re making it last.
Relax, learn to breathe,
You’d better learn fast.

I’m feeling for you
I feel your pain
Yet, everything you do
Is so selfish and vain,
I can’t stay with you
You’re drivin’ me insane.

You’d better grow up,
You better learn to stand tall,
Cause if you don’t,
You’ll have a hell of a fall,
There will be no one left,
No one to care at all.

CAWatson

Rising slowly,
Stretching to the day,
Opening my heart,
Before going my way.

CAWatson

I taught him to love,
To take life as a thrill.
They taught him to fight,
They taught him to kill,
And worst of all,
To do it and not feel.

They took my baby,
They led him to war.
When he came home,
He wasn’t him anymore….

CAWatson