Which Side Are You On
from: Rise As One
Florence was the wife of an organizer for the United Mine Workers union. She wrote this song on a scrap of paper after company thugs tore her house apart, terrorized her, and were seeking to kill her husband. Such courage in the face of such violence! Traditional Appalachian melody.
Come listen fellow workers, good news to you I'll tell
Of how the good old union has come in here to dwell
Which side are you one, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, which side are you on?
My daddy was a miner, now he's in air and sun
But I'll stick with the union till every battle's won
They say in Harlan County, there are no neutrals there
You're either with the union or a thug for J.H. Blair
Oh workers can you stand it, oh tell me how you can
Will you be a lousy scab or be a union man
Don't listen to the bosses, no don't believe their lies
Us workers haven't got a chance unless we organize
Come listen fellow workers, good news to you I'll tell
Of how the good old union has come in here to dwell
Which side are you one, which side are you on?
Which side are you on, which side are you on?
My daddy was a miner, now he's in air and sun
But I'll stick with the union till every battle's won
They say in Harlan County, there are no neutrals there
You're either with the union or a thug for J.H. Blair
Oh workers can you stand it, oh tell me how you can
Will you be a lousy scab or be a union man
Don't listen to the bosses, no don't believe their lies
Us workers haven't got a chance unless we organize
© 1946 Florence Reece, Stormking Music