Friday, May 1, 2009

Labour day

Workers of the world, awaken!
Break your chains, demand your rights.
All the wealth you make is taken
By exploiting parasites.
Shall you kneel in deep submission
From 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

(Joe Hill)

Happy Labour Day!

4 comments:

crocrodyl said...

In Poland the May 1st has connotation with the communist holiday, and it is not a good connotation. Indeed great photo!

amatamari© said...

Image fascinating ... a wonderful way to celebrate!!!

Thanks

Horsoon said...

Very good shot! I love it.

Saretta said...

Excellent photo. Where does this song come from?