United we stand, divided we fall,
For every dime they give us a battle must be fought,
So working people use your power, the key to liberty,
Don't support that rich man's style of luxury.
There ain't no way they can ever keep us down, oh no,
Ain't no way they can ever keep us down.
We won't be bought, we won't be sold, we'll be treated right well that's our goal
And there ain't no way they can ever keep us down.
We've been shot and we've been jailed Lord, it's a sin,
Women and little children stood right by the men.
But we got that union contract that keeps the worker free,
And they'll never shoot that union out of me.
And they'll never shoot that union out of me, oh no,
Never shoot that union out of me.
Got a contract in our hand signed by the blood of honest men,
And they'll never shoot that union out of me.
Well the power wheel is rolling rolling right along,
And the government just keeps it going going strong.
So working people get your help from your own kind,
Your welfare ain't on the rich man's mind.
Your welfare ain't on that rich man's mind, oh no,
Your welfare ain't on that rich man's mind.
They want the power in their hands, just to keep down the worker, and
Your welfare ain't on that rich man's mind.
And they'll never never never keep us down, oh no,
Never never never keep us down.
They can cheat, lie, frame, or steal, but we'll stop that big wheel,
And they'll never never never keep us down.
For every dime they give us a battle must be fought,
So working people use your power, the key to liberty,
Don't support that rich man's style of luxury.
There ain't no way they can ever keep us down, oh no,
Ain't no way they can ever keep us down.
We won't be bought, we won't be sold, we'll be treated right well that's our goal
And there ain't no way they can ever keep us down.
We've been shot and we've been jailed Lord, it's a sin,
Women and little children stood right by the men.
But we got that union contract that keeps the worker free,
And they'll never shoot that union out of me.
And they'll never shoot that union out of me, oh no,
Never shoot that union out of me.
Got a contract in our hand signed by the blood of honest men,
And they'll never shoot that union out of me.
Well the power wheel is rolling rolling right along,
And the government just keeps it going going strong.
So working people get your help from your own kind,
Your welfare ain't on the rich man's mind.
Your welfare ain't on that rich man's mind, oh no,
Your welfare ain't on that rich man's mind.
They want the power in their hands, just to keep down the worker, and
Your welfare ain't on that rich man's mind.
And they'll never never never keep us down, oh no,
Never never never keep us down.
They can cheat, lie, frame, or steal, but we'll stop that big wheel,
And they'll never never never keep us down.
inviata da Dead End - 4/9/2012 - 09:09
Per fortuna, vedendo il film della Kopple , "Harlan County USA", ho scoperto che la foto di cui sopra non ritrae gun thugs al soldo dei padroni, ma minatori dell'UMW'A che difendono in armi lo sciopero... così si faceva... tempi eroici, non lontanissimi...
Invece W. A. "Tony" Boyle, per anni a capo dell'Union Mine Workers, fu poi arrestato e condannato prima per essersi appropriato di migliaia di dollari dei lavoratori per pagarsi una campagna elettorale, poi per essere stato il mandante del massacro efferato di Jock Yablonski e famiglia.
Passò i suoi ultimi dieci anni in carcere, non se tormentato nella coscienza, sicuramente nel corpo. E' morto divorato dal cancro nel 1985. Che il diavolo lo tenga con sè per sempre.
Invece W. A. "Tony" Boyle, per anni a capo dell'Union Mine Workers, fu poi arrestato e condannato prima per essersi appropriato di migliaia di dollari dei lavoratori per pagarsi una campagna elettorale, poi per essere stato il mandante del massacro efferato di Jock Yablonski e famiglia.
Passò i suoi ultimi dieci anni in carcere, non se tormentato nella coscienza, sicuramente nel corpo. E' morto divorato dal cancro nel 1985. Che il diavolo lo tenga con sè per sempre.
B.B. - 23/11/2020 - 18:03
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Nel libro “Working Girl Blues”, scritto insieme a Bill C. Malone e pubblicata nel 2008, autobiografia di questa straordinaria cantautrice e musicista bluegrass del West Virginia, scomparsa nel 2011.
E’ il brano che chiude la colonna sonora del bellissimo documentario di Barbara Kopple “Harlan County, U.S.A.”, vincitore dell’Oscar nel 1977.
Durante gli scontri ad Harlan County fu ucciso un manifestante, il giovane minatore Lawrence Jones. Le violenze furono rese possibili anche dal mancato sostegno allo sciopero da parte dei vertici federali dell’Union Mine Workers, all’epoca ancora occupati dal corrotto e dispotico W. A. "Tony" Boyle, mandante dell’assassinio del leader sindacale e suo acerrimo nemico Jock Yablonski.