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Battle Hymn of Toil

Covington Hall
Language: English



Related Songs

John Brown's Body
(Anonymous)
Why I Am a Revolutionist
(Covington Hall)
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(Covington Hall)


[1910]
Versi di Covington Hall, che spesso si firmava col nome di penna “Covami” (1871-1952), giornalista, poeta e militante sindacale originario del Mississippi.
Questa è forse la sua canzone più famosa, sulla falsariga de “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, che a sua volta usava la melodia di “John Brown's Body”.
Nella raccolta di Covington Hall intitolata “Songs of Love and Rebellion” pubblicata nel 1915.

Battle Hymns Of Toil
Onward! Onward! Onward!
'Till the toilers all are free!
Forward! Forward! Forward!
Death! Death! Death or Liberty!

Lo! the little children hung'ring 'midst the plenty of the earth,
Lo! the mothers agonizing that they ever gave them birth;
Lo! the slaughter of the lovely and the murder of the just,
And the blinding of the soul-sight by the lords of gold and lust!

Onward! Onward! Onward!
'Till the toilers all are free!
Forward! Forward! Forward!
Death! Death! Death or Liberty!

We, the miracle performers, working wonders with our toil,
We are strangers in our countries, we are aliens on their soil;
We are beggars, tramps and vagrants, and we live and die a slave,
Tho' the treasuries are bursting with the wealth our labor gave!

Onward! Onward! Onward!
'Till the toilers all are free!
Forward! Forward! Forward!
Death! Death! Death or Liberty!

Let us rise and march, my comrades, to the song that Freedom sings,
Let us hurl a MAN'S defiance in the ashen face of kings;
Let us rise as one and gather 'round our war flags, flaming red,
'Till the whole world shakes and trembles to the thunder of our tread!

Onward! Onward! Onward!
'Till the toilers all are free!
Forward! Forward! Forward!
Death! Death! Death or Liberty!

Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2015/4/24 - 13:04




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