The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #50836 Message #3753626
Posted By: Joe Offer
25-Nov-15 - 11:04 PM
Thread Name: Versions of 'Which Side Are You On?' (Reece)
Subject: ADD Version: Which Side Are You On (Billy Bragg)
WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON? (Florence Reece, adapted by Billy Bragg)
This government had an idea And parliament made it law It seems like it's illegal To fight for the union any more
Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on
We went out to join the picket line For together we cannot fail We got stopped by police at the county line They said, "Go home boys or you're going to jail"
Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on
It's hard to explain to a crying child Why her Daddy can't go back So the family suffer But it hurts me more To hear a scab say Sod you Jack
Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on
I'm bound to follow my conscience And do whatever I can But it'll take much more than the union law To knock the fight out of a working man
Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on
I first heard this version on Billy Bragg's Back to Basics album in the 1980s. Note that the melody is somewhat different from the usual way of singing this song.