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Which Side Are You On? - Florence Reece

from When We Stand Together by Magpie

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about

This classic song of Labor was written during the “Harlan County War” in Kentucky in 1931. Sheriff J. H. Blair and his deputies, hired by the coal company, had illegally raided Sam and Florence Reece’s home looking for Sam, who was a union organizer. But Sam had been warned in advance and was not there. After terrorizing Florence and their children, the men left. Florence told the story that she took down the calendar hanging on the wall and wrote the words on it, singing it to the tune of the well-known hymn, “Lay the Lily Low.” Published in 1967 by Oak Publications in Hard-Hitting Songs for Hard Hit People, compiled and edited by Alan Lomax & Pete Seeger, with notes by Woody Guthrie, the song has been performed and recorded many times over the years. It has also been adapted for other social struggles including by members of SNCC during the Civil Rights Movement. Our version returns to the original words in the Oak printing. The song was published in the IWW’s Little Red Songbook 36th Edition in 1995.

lyrics

Come all of you good workers Good news to you I’ll tell,
Of how the good ol’ union Has come in here to dwell.

Which side are you on? Which side are you on?

We’ve started our good battle, We know we’re sure to win, Because we’ve got the gun thugs A-lookin’ very thin.

They say they have to guard us
To educate their child;
Their children lives in luxury, Our children’s almost wild.

With pistols and with rifles They take away our bread, And if you miners hinted it, They’d beat you on the head

If you go up to Harlan County There is no neutral there, You’ll either be a union man Or a thug for J.H. Blair.
Oh workers, can you stand it? Oh tell me how you can.
Will you be a gun thug,
Or will you take a stand?

My daddy was a miner.
He is now in the air and sun. He’ll be with you fellow workers Until the battle’s won.

credits

from When We Stand Together, released July 23, 2022
words and music by Florence Reece

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James Connolly Upstate NY IWW Albany, New York

The James Connolly Upstate NY IWW branch is a union for all workers based in NY. Musicians and other workers wishing to organize can find us here upstatenyiww.wordpress.com/contact/

Our benefit album is out May 31st. Support our organizing workers! ... more

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