Tuesday, June 04, 2019

"The World For The Workers" (weekly poem 1909)


From the April 1909 issue of the Socialist Standard

A SONG OF REVOLUTION

Words & Music by H. J. Neumann

You toilers of the world, arise!
To bravely speed the day,
When all your forces organise
King Capital to slay,
And from the master class you'll wrest
The Powers of the State,
Which, wielded in your interest,
Your class emancipate.
There sounds above the class war din
The battle-cry we use:
Unite! you have a world to win,
Your chains alone to lose."
Your lot in life is darkest gloom;
You sow and others reap.
And want and mis'ry are your doom,
While idlers treasures heap.
Why have they riches, you distress,
Though you all wealth have wrought?
It is because the few possess
The earth, while you have nought.
There sounds above the class war din
The battle-cry we use:
Unite! you have a world to win,
Your chains alone to lose."
While you an idle class maintain
For pittances you'll toil.
To own your products you must gain
Possession of the soil
And of all means the workers need
To found the Commonwealth,
And thus enable all to lead
Full lives of peace and health.
There sounds above the class war din
The battle-cry we use:
Unite! you have a world to win,
Your chains alone to lose."
Arise! the message to proclaim,
The message full of cheer:
That Labour's freedom is your aim,
That brighter days are near.
To men exhausted by the fray,
To women in despair,
To children wanting food and play,
To all the message bear
There sounds above the class war din
The battle-cry we use:
Unite! you have a world to win,
Your chains alone to lose."

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