Talking Union-The Almanac Singers

[ti:Talking Union] [ar:The Almanac Singers] [al:Talking Union - EP] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Talking Union - The Almanac Singers [00:05.89]Now if you want higher wages [00:07.27]Let me tell you what to do [00:08.40]You got to talk to the workers [00:09.59]In the shop with you [00:10.71]You got to build you a union [00:12.23]Got to make it strong [00:13.16]But if you all stick together [00:14.24]Boys it won't be long [00:15.31]You get shorter hours [00:16.52] [00:18.16]Better working conditions [00:19.56] [00:21.14]Vacations with pay [00:22.08]Take your kids to the seashore [00:23.43] [00:24.86]It ain't quite this simple [00:25.92]So I better explain [00:26.83]Just why you got to [00:27.79]Ride on the union train [00:29.23]'Cause if you wait for [00:30.18]The boss to raise your pay [00:31.86]We'll all be a waiting till Judgment Day [00:33.85]We'll all be buried [00:34.84] [00:36.56]Gone to heaven [00:37.45] [00:39.12]St Peter will be the straw boss then [00:40.79] [00:43.10]Now you know you're underpaid [00:44.35]But the boss says you ain't [00:45.49]He speeds up the work [00:46.57]Till you're about to faint [00:47.61]You may be down and out [00:48.98]But you ain't beaten [00:49.79]You can pass out a leaflet [00:51.09]And call a meeting [00:51.93]Talk it over [00:52.77] [00:54.49]Speak your mind [00:55.46] [00:57.39]Decide to do something about it [00:58.98] [01:01.05]'Course the boss may persuade [01:02.03]Some poor damn fool [01:03.22]To go to your meeting [01:04.06]And act like a stool [01:05.22]But you can always tell a stool [01:06.62]Though that's a fact [01:07.51]He's got a yaller streak a-running down his back [01:09.72]He doesn't have to stool [01:10.82] [01:12.22]He'll always get along [01:13.51] [01:14.96]On what he takes out of blind Men's cups [01:16.84] [01:22.34]You got a union now [01:23.38]And you're sitting pretty [01:24.40]Put some of the boys on the steering committee [01:26.91]The boss won't listen [01:27.78]When one guy squawks [01:28.85]But he's got to listen [01:30.06]When the union talks [01:31.19]He'd better [01:31.76] [01:33.30]Be mighty lonely [01:34.25] [01:36.31]Everybody decide to walk out on him [01:38.57] [01:42.78]Suppose they're working you [01:43.48]So hard it's just outrageous [01:44.90]And they're paying you all starvation wages [01:47.26]You go to the boss [01:48.25]And the boss would yell [01:49.13]Before I raise your pay [01:50.08]I'd see you all in hell [01:51.07]Well he's puffing a big cigar [01:52.58]Feeling mighty slick [01:53.61]'Cause he thinks he's got your union licked [01:55.65]Well he looks out the window [01:56.97]And what does he see [01:57.98]But a thousand pickets and they all agree [02:00.28]He's a bastard [02:01.06] [02:02.50]Unfair [02:03.18] [02:05.30]Slave driver [02:05.94] [02:06.68]Bet he beats his wife [02:07.79] [02:12.07]Now boys you've come to the hardest time [02:14.36]The boss will try to bust your picket line [02:16.46]He'll call out the police [02:17.48]The national guard [02:18.63]They'll tell you [02:19.18]It's a crime to have a union card [02:20.50]They'll raid your meeting [02:21.82]They'll hit you on the head [02:23.03]They'll call every one of you a Goddam red [02:25.10]Unpatriotic [02:25.97] [02:27.72]Japanese spies [02:28.92] [02:30.76]Sabotaging national defense [02:32.83] [02:35.32]But out at Ford [02:36.71]Here's what they found [02:37.64]And out at Vultee [02:38.63]Here's what they found [02:39.79]And out at Allis Chalmers [02:41.03]Here's what they found [02:41.96]And down at Bethlehem [02:42.91]Here's what they found [02:43.74]That if you don't let red-baiting break you up [02:46.23]And if you don't let stool pigeons break you up [02:48.41]And if you don't let vigilantes break you up [02:50.44]And if you don't let race hatred break you up [02:52.74]You'll win [02:53.58]What I mean [02:54.21]Take it easy [02:54.88]But take it