Get all 7 Melanie Gruben releases available on Bandcamp and save 15%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Like a Tide Upon the Land, Sweetwater, TX, Ways of Man, The Harvest Faire, A Faery Song, The Hosting of the Sidhe, and Puck and the Hour of the Wolf.
1. |
'Til Ireland is Free
03:15
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Workers of Ireland, why crouch ye like cravens to bear all the burden of bourgeoisie shame?
Why stand to be plucked by an army of ravens or hoodwinked forever by working class blame?
Think on the wrongs you bear, think on the rags you wear
Think on the insults indulged from your birth
Toiling in heat and rain, piling up heaps of gain
All for the landlord that grind ye to earth.
Your brains are as keen as the brains of your masters, in swiftness and strength you surpass them, by far
Your brave hearts have taught you to laugh at disasters, you vastly outnumber your tyrants in war
Why, then, like cowards stand, using not brain nor hand,
Thankful like dogs when they throw you a bone?
What right have they to take things that we toil to make?
Know ye not, comrades, that all is our own?
Despite all the talk of these nation’list traitors who rave about “Ireland” or “Freedom” or worse
Expect not your rights from political praters but faithfully trust in your courage and force
Waste not your ready blows, seek not for foreign foes
Your bitterest enemy is own our own soil.
The bosses that grind you, the salesmen that blind you,
The fat cats that revel while you are at toil.
Arise in our might, comrades, bear it no longer, assemble our masses throughout all the land
We’ll show these bloodsuckers which side is the stronger
when workers in Erin united will stand
Through village, street, and hall, over the acres all
Onwards we’ll sweep like the waves of the sea
Claiming the wealth we’ve made, ending the tyrants’ trade
'Til labour has triumped and Ireland is free!
Claiming the wealth we’ve made, ending the tyrants’ trade
'Til labour has triumped and Ireland is free!
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2. |
Union Maid
02:47
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There once was a union maid, she never was afraid
Of the goons and the pigs and the boss big wigs
And the deputy sheriff who made the raid
She went to the union hall when a meeting it was called
And when the company boys came ‘round, she always stood her ground
She said you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union
I’m sticking to the union; I’m sticking to the union
Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union
I’m sticking to the union, ‘til the day I die
This union maid was wise to the tricks of the company spies
She could never be fooled by a corporate tool, she’d always organize the guys
She always got her way when she struck for better pay (hey!)
She’d show her card with high regard, and this is what she’d say
Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union
I’m sticking to the union; I’m sticking to the union
Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union
I’m sticking to the union, ‘til the day I die
I’m sticking to the union, ‘til the day I die
You workers who wanna be free, just take a little tip from me
Join your hands with union fans right into the 21st century
As Angela Davis found, we’re all together bound
Let race and class and gender join to stand our common ground
Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union
I’m sticking to the union; I’m sticking to the union
Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union
I’m sticking to the union, ‘til the day I die
I’m sticking to the union, ‘til the day I die
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3. |
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In 1649 to St. George's Hill
A ragged band they called the Diggers came to show the people's will
They defied the landlords, they defied the laws
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs
“We come in peace,” they said, “to dig and sow;
“We come to work the lands in common and to make the waste grounds grow
This earth divided we will make whole
So it will be a common treasury for all
The sin of property we do disdain
No one has any right to buy and sell the Earth for private gain
By theft and murder, they took the land
Now everywhere the walls spring up at their command
They make the laws to chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell
We will not worship the God they serve
The God of greed who feeds the rich while poor men starve
We work together, we need no swords
We will not bow to the masters or pay rent to the lords
We are free men, though we are poor
You Diggers all stand up for glory, stand up now”
From the men of property the orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers to wipe out the Diggers' claim
Tear down their cottages, destroy their corn
They were dispersed, but still the vision lingers on
You poor take courage, you rich take care
This earth was made a common treasury for everyone to share
All things in common, all people one
“We come in peace”
The orders came to cut them down
"We come in peace"
The orders came to cut them down
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4. |
Water Charges Song
05:00
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We live in brutal times;
can’t afford to rent or buy, can’t afford to stay warm
While the landlords feast and thrive
and their cronies on their thrones try to blame it on the war
But you are far too wise;
you can see their wicked games, and you’ve heard it all before
You’ve a right to be inspired;
for we rose up and took control not so very long ago
And just when hope is gone,
and you think we’d better off if we burned the country down
Remember how we won before;
we got our way when we stood our common ground;
and there is time for us to turn this thing around
Glory, glory, we stopped the water charges, and we will do it again
Glory, glory, we stopped the water charges, and we will do it again
It was 2014
The Irish government announced a new law to be rolled out
For water we’d be charged a fee
No special programmes for the poor, so hands off the waterspout
With costs as they are now
Can you imagine what those bills would have looked like today?
We didn’t all know how
but the government decreed every citizen would pay
We said, water is a human right;
It’s in our blood and in our brain; our taxes fund the water main;
There’s plenty falling from the sky
You say it’s for the Earth, we’re calling out your lie
You try to squeeze the poor, your mandate we’ll defy
We’re on an island for fuck’s sake, we won’t run dry
Glory, glory, we stopped the water charges, and we will do it again
Glory, glory, we stopped the water charges, and we will do it again
The Irish people would not obey
The working class all raised our fists the women led us to resist, we said
We won’t pay, no way (we won't pay, no way)
The population which complied was below 50%
So then there came the threats
They said we’ll take you into court, no water til you pay your debts
It was echoed by the Press (echoed by the Press)
We launched a leafletting campaign all their tactics to address
200,000 mobilised
The protests gave us strength and hope, but this called for a greater scope
The tip-off networks kept us wise
We blocked the trucks from putting water meters in
When guards showed up, we stood together once again
Three million non-paying Irish people made us win
Glory, glory, we stopped the water charges, and we will do it again
Glory, glory, we stopped the water charges, and we will do it again
They can’t stop us when we work together
No, they can’t take us all in a fight
It counts to protest and be vocal
But it matters as well that we pull it off right
With tactics specific to what they throw our way
A working-class network could well seize the day
Don't rely on politicians to fight for our fight
'Cause it’s far past time to make housing a right!
Glory, glory, we stopped the water charges, and we will do it again
Glory, glory, we stopped the water charges, and we will do it again
We will do it again!
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5. |
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As we go marching, marching, in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill-lofts gray
Are touched by all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
As the people hear us singing, "Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses."
As we go marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient cries for Bread;
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew
Yes, it is Bread we fight for—but we fight for Roses, too.
As we go marching, marching, we battle, too, for men
For they are women's children, our comrades, loves, and friends.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes
Hearts starve as well as bodies: Give us Bread, but give us Roses.
As we go marching, marching, we bring the brighter days
The rising of the women rises all the human race.
No more the drudge and idler ten that toil where one reposes
But a sharing of life's glories: Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses,
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes
Hearts starve as well as bodies: Give us Bread, but give us Roses.
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