Lyr Add: Taft-Hartley (Charlie King)

Subject: Lyr Add: Taft-Hartley (Charlie King)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Jul 17 - 04:09 AM

TAFT-HARTLEY
(Charlie King)

Well, part of me says we shouldn't be striking
But most of me says we should
'Cause when the owners get together with the U.S. Government
You know they ain't gonna do me no good
And if they keep on handing us a yellow-dog contract
We're gonna have to turn it down
And Mr. Taft can dig it, Mr. Hartley can haul it
I'm gonna leave it in the ground

Mr. Taft can dig it, Mr. Hartley can haul it
Mr. Carter can supervise the crew
And if they find it too hard they got the National Guard
To fix their bayonets and shovel like fools
It's gonna take a lot longer than 80 short days
For this miner to cool on down, So Mr. Taft can dig it...

The mine-owner don't worry about safety regulations
He's walking in the sun all day
But when you're down in the mines the first thing you learn
You gotta stay alive if you want to spend that pay
So if we sign away our rights to be wildcat strikin'
Well, you know they're gonna push us around And Mr. Taft...

They took away our food stamps, then our medical plan
I got a mortgage I can't pay
But the folks here in town are gonna give me credit
'Cause they know I'll be back on my feet some day
And if some gun-totin' thug takes to totin' for the owners
Better find himself another town
And Mr...

My daddy's pensioned off on 80 bucks a week
It seems to get smaller every year
If every time the kids are sick I'm reachin' in my pocket
You know that pay raise is gonna disappear
No owner can outsmart me with his Taft and his Hartley
When the coal supply is running down
He may own the coal, but he don't own me
And I'm gonna leave it in the ground!
CHORUS

My transcription from the Charlie King recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOnH9XUMrjk