JohninKansas -

what part of the country did you see/hear these lyrics? And what approximate year? 20 years ago is what.. 1985? That's not too long ago.

Glad to know I'm not the only one that remembers these.


If I had to put a year to the origin of the lyrics I heard, It would be 1960-1961 the year of the big organizing effort. My Grandfather was one of the Union organizers and it was from him I heard the song. I recall hearing it BEFORE Nixon resigned and if memory serves, my days of hanging around the Old Union Hall in Summertime were 1972 and 1973. I would have been 8 or 9 years old then.

This was pretty far Upstate New York too. Closer to Canada really, than any major US City. I never did see them written down anywhere besides any notes I may have made with a verse or two and a tab note for guitar. I do recall there being a verse where the 'man taking names' gets his in the end via divine retribution. The details though - all gone out of my mind.


I remember those summers very clearly because I still have notebooks where I wrote down the lyrics to 'Which side are you on?" and other Union oldies but goodies. I was a budding song collector even then!

Everyone in my family played at least Guitar and it's amusing to compare the songs I still have in my notebooks from the ones my Sister has from the same Era. She's four years older and hers are filled with John Denver, pop tunes and hymns from Mass. Mine are filled with Murder ballads, Union Songs and Civil Rights songs. Lordy! Also, my notebooks have gaelic lyrics and hers don't. Our sources were the same 4 grandparents and other relatives. How do ya figure on the differences?

I shared this info with my dad one night on the phone and he just laughed about it and said memory was a funny thing, that 2 siblings growing up in exact same environment can have 2 completely opposing experiences. Funny how that goes. I'll ask her if she remembers any of the other lyrics. WHo knows, we may get lucky.