Joe Hill — Workers of the World Awaken

Workers of the world, awaken! Break your chains, demand your rights. All the wealth you make is taken B y 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? Chorus: 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-