I was leafing through the little red book: IWW Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent, and came on

"We Have Fed You All for a Thousand Years"

We have fed you all for a thousand years
And you hail us still unfed,
Though there's never a dollar of all your wealth
But marks the workers' dead.
We have yielded our best to give you rest
And you lie on crimson wool.
Then if blood be the price of all your wealth,
Good God! We have paid it in full!

There is never a mine blown skyward now
But we're buried alive for you.
There's never a wreck drifts shoreward now
But we are its ghastly crew.
Go reckon our dead by the forges red
And the factories where we spin.
If blood be the price of your cursed wealth,
Good God! We have paid it in!

We have fed you all for a thousand years --
For that was our doom, you know,
From the days when you chained us in your fields
To the strike a week ago.
You have taken our lives, and our babies and wives,
And we're told it's your legal share,
But if blood be the price of your lawful wealth,
Good God! We have bought it fair!

the citation is thus:
(written by 'An Unknown Proletarian,' music by Von Lieben)
(first listed printing, Industrial Union BUlletin, April 18, 1908)

(It's on page 26 in my 34th edition copy of Songs of the Workers.)

Obviously, a re-write of Kipling's poem. However, anyone know the tune that's referenced?? Von Lieben is not among the authors of settings listed at Brian Mattinson's web site (mentioned above).

~ Becky in Tucson

---

Click to play