Happy Labor Day .... Joe Hill Lyrics

[Botany]

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
alive as you and me.
Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died" said he,
"I never died" said he.

"The Copper Bosses killed you Joe,
they shot you Joe" says I.
"Takes more than guns to kill a man"
Says Joe "I didn't die"
Says Joe "I didn't die"

And standing there as big as life
and smiling with his eyes.
Says Joe "What they can never kill
went on to organize,
went on to organize"

From San Diego up to Maine,
in every mine and mill,
where working-men defend their rights,
it's there you find Joe Hill,
it's there you find Joe Hill!

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
alive as you and me.
Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died" said he,
"I never died" said he.

[knitter4democracy]

1. I posted it, too!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1723478&mesg_id=1723478

It's hard not to think of Joe Hill and all those who died for human rights and unions today.

[Warpy]

2. How about some real Joe Hill lyrics?

Long-haired preachers come out every night
To tell you what's wrong and what's right
But when asked about something to eat
They will answer in voices so sweet

Chorus
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 -- that's a lie.

And the starvation army they play,
They sing and they clap and they pray.
'Til they get your all coin on the drum,
Then they'll tell you when you're on the bum.

Chorus
You're going to eat bye and bye, poor boy,
In that glorious land above the sky, way up high.
Work and pray, live on hay,
You'll get pie in the sky when you die -- dirty lie.
Holy rollers and jumpers come out,
And they holler , they jump, lord they shout.
Give your money to Jesus they say,
He will cure all your troubles today.

Chorus
And 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.

If you heart for children and wife,
Try to get something good from this life.
You're a sinner and a bad man they tell,
When you die you will sure go to hell.

Chorus
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.


Working men of all countries unite,
Side by side for freedom we will fight.
When this world and its wealth we have gained,
To the grafters we will sing this refrain:

Chorus
You will eat bye and bye,
When you've learned how to cook and to fry.
Chop some wood it'll do you good,
You will eat in that sweet bye and bye.

Yes, 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 -- that's a lie.


(Sung to the tune of "In the Sweet Bye and Bye," if you didn't already know)

[Misskittycat]

3. I used to play this song on my guitar, decades ago. n/t

[suffragette]

4. "Fanning the Flames: Northwest Labor Song Traditions"

Here's a link with some info on Joe Hill, I.W.W. songs, Earl Robinson (he wrote the music to the poem by Alfred Hayes "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill"), and the Wobblies. Found it since I went looking to see if I could find more info on the song.

http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=7575

More on Earl Robinson:
http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=2029


I grew up in Seattle and lived in West Seattle in my youth. I connected to Joan Baez version of Joe Hill the minute I heard it and have always been moved by the song. Yet I never knew, until today, that someone from Seattle helped to write that song.

Thanks Botany for posting this, for reminding us of those who have worked before for justice and for, thus, \ prompting me to look up the info and to learn about Earl Robinson through this.

In solidarity - suffragette.