Download printable PDF

Ain't gonna let nobody
turn me around (3x)
Ain't gonna let nobody
turn me around,
Gonna keep on a-walkin',
keep on a-talkin',
Gonna build a better world.

Ain't gonna let no racism... no
sexism...homophobia... no
provocateurs...no 1%...no grand
juries...

Download printable version (created 4/26/17)

Ain't gonna let nobody turn me around
turn me around, turn me around (repeat)
Gonna keep on walking, keep on talking,
Gonna build a better world
Ain't gonna let no fracking
…Big O-il
…No corporations
…No lobbyists
…No denial
…No funding cuts
…No dumbing down
…No pseudo science

by Paul McKenna © 1998     
Tune: “All Together Now” by the Beatles from the movie, “Yellow Submarine”
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

1-2-3-4
I ain’t takin’ anymore.
5-6-7-8-9-10,
How ‘bout you?

A-B-C-D,
We’re demanding equity,
We’re fed up with not getting our due,
How ‘bout you?

Take a stand (TAKE A STAND)
Fight the fight (FIGHT THE FIGHT)
Organize (ORGANIZE)
And do it right!

CHORUS: All together now (ALL TOGETHER NOW)
All together now (ALL TOGETHER NOW)
All together now (ALL TOGETHER NOW)
All together now (ALL TOGETHER NOW)

Black, white, beige, brown
We’ll bring justice to this town.
Red, green, lavender, and gray, too,
How ‘bout you?

CHORUS TWICE

Rock the boat (ROCK THE BOAT)
Kick some ass (KICK SOME ASS)
Mobilize (MOBILIZE)
The working class!

CHORUS TWICE

REPEAT CHORUS AND ACCELERATE

(Original words/music by Seymour Simons & Gerald Marks.New words by Hali Hammer)       Download printable version (created 7/32/19)

All of me, health care for you and me
Co-pay free, with a choice of providers
Eyes and teeth – Don't want to lose them!
Local clinics – I want to use them!

Say goodbye to costs that soar sky-high
Middlemen – we'll do better without them
Long-term support, you won't get sold short
With Medicare for you and me!

All of me, health care for you and me
Guaranteed from pre-birth to departure
Change your job, and you won't lose it
Unemployed? You can still use it

Dignity, no fear of bankruptcy
When in need, everybody's covered
Let's win the fight, good treatment is our right
With health care for you and me!

by Stuart Stotts         Download printable PDF

When the cops start shouting, we will still be strong (3X)
We will answer— with a song.
When they rig the justice system...
When the paddy wagons show up...
When they try to provoke us...
When fear starts creeping in...
When they try to divide us...

(Les Rice 1950, new lyrics by Mary Nash)  
Download printable version (revised 7/12/19)

I've traveled round this country from shore to shining shore
It really makes me wonder the things I heard and saw
I saw a weary worker face each day in fear and pain
Her employer cut her hours, job and pension down the drain

But the banks are made of marble
With a guard at every door
And the vaults are stuffed with silver
That the workers sweated for.

I saw a man who signed a contract so he could modify his loan
Then I heard the banker saying,"We have repossessed your home"
I saw a weary soldier coming back from the war
I heard the bosses saying, "Got no work for you no more" (CHORUS…soldier)

I saw migrant workers fleeing, the law told them, "You can't stay"
Small farmers lost their harvest - Agribusiness got its way!
I saw a laid off worker, he said his sister helped him through
For a year, but that has ended - Now his sister's laid off too (CHORUS…worker)

I saw the ER doctor and the patients in despair
I heard insurance companies saying NO to universal care
I heard a student saying, "I'm fed up with corporate greed
Tax the rich, stop the warfare, then we can have the things we need."
(CHORUS…people)

99% are suffering throughout this mighty land
I believe we'll get together, and together make a stand

Then we'll own those banks of marble
With no guard at every door -
And we'll share those vaults of silver
That the people sweated for.

(Original by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector, new words by Hali Hammer)          Download printable version (revised 4/29/14)

You buzzed into my garden – it needed you so
You spread around the pollen, flitting to and fro
You have the gentle power
To help create the flower
And now it's come – the hour for us to help you, oh

We want you bee, my bee, my bee baby
Stay, bee, my darling, my bee, my bee now – woah, ho ho ho

Your species now endangered - It is a sin
Cause Bayer keeps producing Clothianidin
The beekeeper and farmer
Have figured out the harmer
We need you, little charmer, for eternity

We want you bee, my bee, my bee baby
Stay bee, my darling, my bee, my bee now – woah, ho ho ho ho
Bee, my - my bee, my bee baby
Stay bee, my darling, my bee, my bee now – woah, ho ho ho ho

(The Risin’ of the Moon) new words by Nancy Schimmel
Download printable version (revised 1/17/12)

I’ve read some science-fiction
And I know how to tell
A human from an android,
You know, I learned it well.
If it doesn’t have a navel
It’s an alien, at best
Or else it is an android,
It’s the bellybutton test.

Chorus

It’s the bellybutton test, it’s the bellybutton test,
We need a new amendment with the bellybutton test.

If it doesn’t pass the test
The bellybutton test,
It’s from a lawyer’s office
Or a pterodactyl nest
Don’t ya tell me it’s a person,
It is a thing possessed,
A corporation cannot pass
The bellybutton test.

Chorus

If Chevron is a person,
Would he adopt a child?
He’d expose the kid to benzene!
And wouldn’t that drive you wild?
If BP had a mother,
She’d turn him on her knee,
For being proud and careless
And fouling up the sea.

Chorus

Words by Nancy Schimmel to the tune of The Black Fly Song by Wade Hemsworth
Inspired by an article by Claire Cameron in the NY Times.
Download printable version (revised 9/19/23)

Back in ‘92 I decided to go
For to work up in the woods of north Ontario
Planting little trees exactly six feet apart
Planting trees was gonna be a balm to my heart

Chorus #1: But the black flies, little black flies
Always the black flies, no matter where you go
Dying with the black flies pickin' on my bones
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o

Carrying the saplings on my aching back
And the black flies using me for a little snack
Planting little saplings just as far as you could see
And every tree we planted was a black spruce tree

Chorus #2: And the black spruce, the little black spruce,
Always the black spruce no matter where you go
Flames of the black spruce smokin’ our homes
In north Ontar-i-o-i-o
In north Ontar-i-o

Now the black flies could eat you at a single gulp
And the black spruce they grow it and turn it into pulp
Six feet apart makes them easier to fell
So we were planting future clear-cuts, near as we could tell.
Chorus #2

We didn’t know it, so we aren’t to blame
But the black spruce is too easy a tree to set aflame.
They need aspens between them or the blaze goes higher
We weren’t planting forests, we were planting forest fires

Chorus #2

©1915 words James Oppenheim, updated by Sandy Opatow,
music Mimi Farina       Download printable version (revised 1/20/12)

As we go marching, marching in the beauty of the day
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts grey
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses.
For the people hear us singing, bread and roses,
bread and roses.

As we go marching, marching we battle too for men
For they are women's children,
let the mothers speak again.
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, unnumbered women dead,
Go crying though our singing their ancient call 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, oh people hear our call
For the rising of the women means the rising of us all.
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.

(Tune of Bye Bye Love by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant /recorded by the Everly Brothers)
New words by Bill Pinkham and Bonnie Lockhart         
Download printable version (created 4/19/17)

CHORUS:
Bye bye coal
Bye bye filthiness
Hello healthiness
Bye bye to coal, goodbye
(sing chorus twice)

Old Phil Tagami, he had a plan
He'd transport coal trains through West Oakland
But the city council told him "No way!"
That coal in Utah is there to stay

So Phil is suing our coal-free town
But his coal lawsuit is going down
'Cause we want Oakland to be coal free
And we believe in democracy

So Phil Tagami, your plan's a bust
We'll have new jobs here without coal dust!
So drop the lawsuit, and be a sport
Let's bring some clean jobs to our home port

by Paul McKenna © 2020
(Tune: “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas and the Papas
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

I can barely breathe (I can barely breathe)
And the sky is brown (and the sky is brown).
Fire is runnin’ wild (fire is runnin’ wild)
And threatening our town (threatening our town).
Everywhere you go (everywhere you go)
The state is burnin’ down (the state is burnin’ down)
California’s screamin’ (California’s screamin’)
We’ve got to make a change!

Lethal hurricanes
Are getting’ worse each year.
There’s superheated air (superheated air)
In the atmosphere (in the atmosphere).
Cities on the ocean (cities on the ocean)
Are overcome with fear (overcome with fear)
Florida is screamin’ (Florida is screamin’)
We’ve got to make a change!

All around the world (all around the world),
Seas are on the rise (seas re on the rise),
Glaciers vanishing (glaciers vanishing)
Right before our eyes (right before our eyes).
The time to act is running out (tine is running out)
The status quo’s insane (status quo’s insane).
All the world is screamin’,
We’ve got to make change,
California’s screamin’,
We’ve got to make a change.
Polynesia’s screamin’,
We’ve got to make a change.
India is screamin’,
We’ve got to make a change.
Africa is screamin’
We’ve got to make a change.
The Caribbean’s screamin’
We’ve got to make a change.
The Amazon is screamin’,
We’ve got to make a change.
All the world is screamin’
We’ve got to make change!

by Gill Turner        Download printable PDF

There's a friend by my side walking,
There's a voice inside me talking,
There's a word that needs a-saying,
Carry it on. (4x)

They will tell their lying stories,
Send their dogs to bite our bodies,
They will lock us in their prisons,
But we carry it on, carry it on (3x)

All their lies will turn to silence,
All their dogs will turn from violence
All their prison walls will crumble,
If we carry it on, carry it on (3x)

If you can't go on any longer,
Take the hand of your sister & brother,
Every victory's gonna bring another!
So we carry it on, carry it on. (2x)

New words by Megan Roberts, edited by Nancy Schimmel
Tune: Da Do Ron Ron by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Phil Spector
Download printable version (created 5/19/12)

Chevron's plant sitting on our hill
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong
But will they take care of us if there’s a spill
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong

Yeah -- they’re on our hill    
Yeah -- what if there’s a spill
No, they don’t walk the walk,    
Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong

They care for the environment -- that's what they say
    Che chev  ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong
But they're the biggest gas polluters says the EPA
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong

Yeah -- that’s what they say
Yeah -- says the EPA
No, they don’t walk the walk,
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong

They say helping communities is their intent
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong
But their local hire rate is less than seven percent
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong

Yeah -- it's their intent
Yeah -- less than seven percent
No, they don’t walk the walk,
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong

They make their money and pollute our air
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong
But when tax time comes they don’t pay their share
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong

Yeah --  pollute our air
Yeah -- they don’t pay their share
No, they don’t walk the walk,
    Che chev ron ron ron Che Chev wrong wrong

by Paul McKenna © 2020
(Tune: “At the Hop” by Danny and the Juniors)
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

Chop, chop, chop, chop
Chop, chop, chop, chop,
Chop, chop, chop, chop,
Chop, chop, chop, chop,
From the top!

If you’re balancin’ the budget, then the place you oughta cut it is the top.
If you’re makin’ an incision, then the obvious decision is the top.
So take our advice and do all your slicin’ at the top.

CHORUS: Chop it from the top (you’ve got to)
Chop it from the top (you’ve got to)
Chop it from the top (you’ve got to)
Chop it from the top.
Come on, chop it from the top.

There’s too much administration with excessive compensation at the top
If you’re exercising prudence on behalf of all the students, hit the top.
You can find the cash if you do your slashin’ at the top.

CHORUS

If you’re balancin’ the budget, then the place you oughta cut it is the top.
If you’re makin’ an incision, then the obvious decision is the top.
So take our advice and do all your slicin’ at the top.
There’s too much administration with excessive compensation at the top.
If you’re exercising prudence on behalf of all the students, hit the top.
No ifs, ands, or buts, you gotta make your cuts at the top.

CHORUS

Chop, chop, chop, chop
Chop, chop, chop, chop,
Chop, chop, chop, chop,
Chop, chop, chop, chop,
From the top!

Linda Hirschhorn      Download printable version (revised 1/20/12)

Circle round for freedom,
Circle round for peace
For all of us imprisoned,
Circle for release
Circle for the planet,
Circle for each soul
For the children of our children,
Keep the circle whole

Download printable version (created 4/26/17)

Come & go with me to that land, (repeat 3X)
where I'm bound. (repeat chorus)

There's no fracking in that land…
Solar Power in that land…
No fossil fuels….
Jobs and justice…
Honest science…
Funded research…
Climate justice…
Green and clean….

(Traditional- Mexican Folk Song)
Download printable version (revised 7/12/19)

De colores, do colores se visten los campos en la primavera.
De colores, de colores son los pajaritos que vienen de afuera.
De colores, de colores es el arco iris que vemos lucir
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mi (2x)

Canta el gallo, canta el gallo con el kiri kiri kiri kiri kiri,
La gallina, la gallina con el kara kara kara kara kara,
Los polluelos, los polluelos con el pio pio pio pio pio
Y por eso los grandes amores de muchos colores me gustan a mi (2x)

Si se puede
Si se puede, it means "Yes we can", we can do it together
Si Se puede, in the in the fields, in the streets,
we stand up for ourselves, and it's better
Si se puede
The union, the struggle, the people, the eagle that flies
Cesar Chavez gave his days and nights to turn wrong into right
In my way so do I! (2x)

Leon Rosselson        Download printable version (revised 5/17/12)

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 ground 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 man 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 feed the rich while poor folk starve

We work we eat together we need no swords
We will not bow to the masters or pay rent to the lords
Still we are free 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

(Repeat italicized verse)

Tune: Bella Ciao New Words by Sing for the Climate
Download printable version

We need to wake up
We need to wise up,
We need to open our eyes and do it now, now, now!
We need to build a better future
And we need to start right now!

We’re on a planet
That has a problem,
We’ve got to solve it, get involved
And do it now, now, now!
We need to build a better future
And we need to start right now!

No point in waiting,
Or hesitating,
We must get wise, take mo more lies
And do it now, now, now!
We need to build a better future,
And we need to start right now!

(Don't Fence Me In: music by Cole Porter, orig. lyrics by Robert Fletcher & Cole Porter, new words by Betsy Rose, Hali Hammer)   
Download printable version (revised 5/17/12)

Oh give me land, lots of land
Lots of freedom and peace - Don't send that drone
We've got homes to rebuild, we've got children to feed
Don't send that drone
You can sit in your video booth with a trigger
Set off a bomb with a touch of one finger
Never see the sorrow and the pain that lingers
Don't send that drone.

Don't set them loose,
Where they rattle into battle underneath the desert sky
There's no excuse
When they wander, making fodder of the spot they atomize
I want to ride to a ridge needing no defenses
Gaze at the moon with no consequences
Don't look for trouble, that's just common sense - no,
Don't send that Drone!

So give me land lots of land
Lots of freedom and peace - Don't send that drone
We've got homes to rebuild, we've got children to feed
Don't send that drone
You can sit in your video booth with a trigger
Set off a bomb with a touch of one finger
Never see the sorrow and the pain that lingers
Don't send that drone.

Download printable PDF

Gonna stand up for Michael Brown, down by the riverside...
Gonna stand up for Eric Garner...
Trayvon Martin...
Oscar Grant...
Gonna stand by my brothers...
Gonna stand by my sisters...
Gonna stand up to police power...
Gonna make it safe for everyone...

by Paul McKenna © 1981
(Tune: “Vive L’Amour, Vive La Companie)”
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

Come ev’ry good worker and listen to me.
Down with the company!
Join up in our strike if you want to be free.
Down with the company!
Please honor our picket line, don’t try to cross.
Down with the company!
Sing up with the union and down with the boss.
Down with the company!

CHORUS
Oh, down with the, down with the, down with the boss.
Down with the, down with the, down with the boss.
Down with the boss, down with the boss,
Down with the company!

The boss is a liar, a snake, and a crook.
Down with the company!
He mistreats the workers and doctors the books.
Down with the company!
His head’s made of sand and his heart’s made of stone.
Down with the company!
He keeps all the bread and he throws us a bone.
Down with the company! CHORUS

The boss is determined to bust up our strike.
Down with the company!
We’re not going back ‘til we get what we like.
Down with the company!
Our jobs and our livelihoods we will defend.
Down with the company!
The union is going to win in the end.
Down with the company! CHORUS

REPEAT CHORUS

Tune, Skip to My Lou; Words, Nancy Schimmel
Download printable version

Chorus: Exxon lied, what'll we do? (3x)
Throw them into prison.

When did they know what they knew,
Since about 1982
But they kept making CO2,
Throw them into prison.

The scientists in their employ
Told them what they would destroy
But profits rose, and they said "Oh boy!"
Throw them into prison.

Chorus

It's they who built our funeral pyre,
The temperature keeps going higher
Liar, liar, pants on fire,
Throw them into prison.

They're lower than the lowest slime
Racketeering is a crime,
Department of Justice, it is time
To throw them into prison.

Chorus

(To the tune of The Eyes of Texas/
I've Been Workin' on the Railroad)
Lyrics by Paul Stein additional lyrics, Bonnie Lockhart
Download printable version (created 4/18/17)

The eyes of the White House are upon you, all the livelong day
The NSA is spying on you, tracking what you write and say.
Do not think you can escape them,
At night or at the crack of dawn.
A rising police state should alarm you,
The Fourth Amendment's gone!

Snowden won't you blow, Snowden won't you blow
Snowden won't you blow that whis-tle now?
Snowden won't you blow, Snowden won't you blow
Snowden won't you blow that whistle now?

Someone's in the kitchen at your house,
Someone's in the kitchen in your own ho-ome,
Someone's in the kitchen at your house,
Trackin' down your old cell phone . . . .and singin'
Fee, Fi, fiddlin' FBI
Fee Fi fiddlin' FBI, aye, aye aye
Fee, Fi, fiddlin' FBI
Lurkin' in your old Wi-fi

(George Fouke; disability verse by Nina Fendel)  
Download printable version (revised 1/17/12)

Some of us were born near the north and south pole
where the low temperatures are mean
Others appeared in more moderate zones somewhere in between
But wherever you happened to squeeze out, whatever the name of that land
All of us are members of the family of woman & man

All of us are members, all of us are members, all of us are members of the family
And we bid you to remember as you carry out your plan
All of us are members of the family of woman & man

Some are the color of peaches & cream, some of pumpkin pie
Some are the color of banana nut bread & some of Russian rye
But whatever color you happen to be, it's plain as the back of your hand
All of us are members of the family of woman & man
Some of us are shaped like cucumbers, some are shaped like pears
Some are smooth as dolphins and eels & some are hairy as bears
But whatever your shaper or your texture, whatever your cosmetic plan
All of us are members of the family of woman & man

All of us are members, all of us are members, all of us are members of the family
And we bid you to remember as you carry out your plan
All of us are members of the family of woman & man

Some of us listen with our ears, others watch hands or lips
Some of us read with our eyes & some with our fingertips
Some of us get around in wheelchairs, use walkers or canes to stand, and
All of us are members of the family of woman & man

Some take lovers of the opposite sex, some prefer their own kind
Some say variety's the spice of life & some can't make up their mind
But whatever your orientation, whatever your libido demands
All of us are members of the family of woman & man (Chorus/Instrumental)

Now there are those among us who are dangerous, that's for sure
To protect their privileges, they would drag us into war
But the family will rise above them, and strip them of their power
And guarantee the future against that midnight hour

CHORUS/ All of us are members of the family of woman and man.

to the tune of "Which Side Are You On?" Original lyrics by Florence Reese; new words by Bonnie Lockhart

Download printable version (revised 5/17/14)

Come all of you good people, good news to you we give
We're gonna raise up wages so that working folks can live

Fifteen bucks an hour (4X)

The big boxes will fight back, they'll whimper and they'll cry
They'll say they can't afford it, but we know that's just a lie
Fifteen bucks an hour. . .

Hey, listen up McDonalds, if you can't make the grade
Just move out and let locals show how payrolls can be made
Fifteen bucks an hour. . .

While CEOs make millions, the minimum is flat
Now most Americans agree it's time to change all that
Fifteen bucks an hour. . .

Now listen local leaders, 'cause we elected you
It's time to tackle poverty, here's one thing you can do
Fifteen bucks an hour. . .

It's happening all over, we're building people's power
So nationwide the wage will rise to fifteen bucks an hour
Fifteen bucks an hour. . .

by Paul McKenna © 2011
Tune: “My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean”
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

The Higher Ed classified workers are ready to stand up and fight.
There’s not one of us who’s a shirker. It’s time they start treating us right.

CHORUS: Fight back, fight back, fight back for fairness and equity.
Fight back, fight back, fight back for you and for me.

This system is rolling in money. we know they’ve got plenty of dough.
Their future is rosy and sunny, so why are my wages so low? CHORUS

The classified workers are starving, while bosses get raises and perks.
A big piece of pie they are carving, but who do you think does the work? CHORUS

Now SEIU is insisting that we get our share of the pie,
But so far the boss is resisting and feeding us pie-in-the-sky. CHORUS

They made me take off for a furlough. They said that their budget is tight.
My pay is already for sure low. This picture somehow is not right. CHORUS

They’ve always got funds for consulting, for deans and directors galore,
So it’s nothing short of insulting, when they have the nerve to cry poor. CHORUS

So, brothers and sisters, I’ve had it. It’s time for the nonsense to end,
So let’s all stand up and have at it. We won’t let ‘em fool us again. CHORUS

©1975 by David Mallett        Download printable version (revised 1/17/12)

CHORUS:
Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
Gonna mulch it deep and low
Gonna make it fertile ground
Inch by inch, row by row
Please bless these seeds I sow
Please keep them safe below
'Till the rain comes tumbling down

Pullin' weeds and pickin' stones
We are made of dreams and bones
Feel the need to grow a my own
For the time is close at hand
Grain for grain, sun and rain
Find my way in nature's chain
Tune my body and my brain
To the music of the land

Plant your rows straight and long
Temper them with prayer and song
Mother Earth will make you strong
If you give her love and care
Old crow watchin' from a tree.
Got his hungry eye on me.
In my garden I'm as free
As that feathered thief up there.

To the tune of the chorus of Officer Krupke (chorus only) Music: Leonard Bernstein, Words: Nancy Schimmel  
Download printable version
 
Gee, Governor Gavin, We’re really upset
At all the tons of water that the frackers will get.
You say shorter showers
Will help with the drought,
We sing in the shower, cut it out!
Cut it out!, cut it out!
Oh, there is no doubt
We’ve got to cut the fracking out.
 Gee, Governor Gavin, I like me a bath,
If frackers take it from me, well, that raises my wrath.
I use by the gallon,
They use by the lake,
I say that fracking’s a mistake.
A mistake, a mistake, 
Oh, you make me ache,
You know that fracking’s a mistake.
 Gee, Governor Gavin, they’re making a mess,
The frackers spoil the water and they leave us with less.
The aquifer’s shrinking, 
We're drinking their slop,
Governor Gavin, make it stop!
Make it stop, make it stop,
Make them close up shop,
We all demand you make it stop.

(Music: Proud Mary by John Fogerty, new words: Bonnie Lockhart)
Download printable version

If you go down to Lake Merritt ( the demo)
Bet you're gonna find some people who care
People need the power
Got to seize the hour
New York City, Oakland and everywhere!
Big Oil can't keep burnin' We got the tide a'turnin'
Growin', Growin, Growin' climate movement (X2)

We can make jobs in the city
We don't have to burn those fossil fuels!
There is wealth aplenty
Use it for the many
One percent won't keep on makin' rules
Big Oil can't keep burnin' . . . .

We got imagination
We can build up new technology
With a common vision
Make a just transition
Workplaces with real democracy.
Big Oil can't keep burnin'. . .

(Song by Leonard Cohen, new words by Gary Lapow and
Climate/Science March SISTRs)

In this time of loss and fear
With open hearts we gather here
I can see the hope and love light shining through ya

We sing today to take a stand
To rise together, hand in hand
No lies that pass for science gonna fool ya
Hallelujah! (4x)

Our power is the rising sun
That gives its light to everyone
You don't need fossil fuels no more now, do ya?

With wind and water we'll survive
Clean energy will help us thrive
Our children will be singing hallelujah!
Hallelujah! (4x)…

Stephen Foster       Download printable version (revised 7/13/19)

Let us pause in life’s pleasures & count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears
O, Hard Times, come again no more

‘Tis the song, the sigh of the weary
Hard Times, Hard Times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door
O, Hard Times, come again no more

There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er
Tho' her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
O, Hard Times, come again no more (Chorus)

‘Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave
‘Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
‘Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave,
O, Hard Times, come again no more (Chorus)

While we seek mirth & beauty & music bright & gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Tho’ their voices are silent, their pleading looks still say,
O, Hard Times, come again no more (Chorus)

Anne Feeney      Download printable version (created 4/29/14)

Was it Cesar Chavez? Maybe it was Dorothy Day
Some will say Dr. King or Gandhi set them on their way
No matter who your mentors are it's pretty plain to see
That if you've been to jail for justice, you're in good company

Chorus:
Have you been to jail for justice? I want to shake your hand
Cause sitting in and lyin' down are ways to take a stand
Have you sung a song for freedom? or marched that picket line?
Have you been to jail for justice? Then you're a friend of mine

You law abiding citizens, come listen to this song
Laws were made by people, and people can be wrong
Once unions were against the law, but slavery was fine
Women were denied the vote and children worked the mine
The more you study history the less you can deny it
A rotten law stays on the books til folks like us defy it (Chorus)

The law's supposed to serve us, and so are the police
And when the system fails, it's up to us to speak our peace
It takes eternal vigilance for justice to prevail
So get courage from your convictions
Let them haul you off to jail! (Chorus)

(from Trad. Keep Your Hand on the Plow)  
Download printable version (revised 7/13/19)

Paul & Silas were bound in jail
Had no money for to go their bail
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on
Hold on, hold on!
Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on!

Paul & Silas began to shout
The jail doors opened & they walked out/Keep…

The only thing that we did wrong
Was stayin’ in the wilderness too long/Keep…

Ain’t but one chain that we can stand
That’s the chain of a hand in hand/Keep…

Freedom’s name is mighty sweet
Black & white are gonna meet/Keep…

We’ve fought jail & violence too
And our love has seen us through/Keep…

Got my hand on the freedom plow
Wouldn’t take nothin’ for my journey now/Keep…

Download printable version (revised 1/18/12)

We meet today in freedom's cause
And raise our voices high
We'll join our hands in union strong
To battle or to die

CHORUS:
Hold the fort, for we are coming,
Union folk be strong
Side by side we battle onward
Victory will come

Look, my comrades, see the union
Banners waving high
Reinforcements now appearing
Victory is nigh

CHORUS

See our numbers still increasing
Hear the bugles blow
By our union we shall triumph
Over every foe
CHORUS

by Paul McKenna © 1981, Revised 2017
Tune: “Home on the Range”
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

When I was young, it was always great fun
To read about brave Robin Hood,
But now things have changed in a way that is strange--
Hood Robin's now haunting the woods.

CHORUS: Hood Robin's his name.
He steals from the poor and the lame,
And he gives to the rich.
Now ain't that a switch
From the hero of storybook fame.

He travels the land with his renegade band
Any day now he’ll come to your town.
He plunders and robs, stealin’ money and jobs
And tearing the working class down. CHORUS

There’s no money to spare for medical care
And food stamps have got to be chopped,
But there’s billions for bombs and new Vietnams
And tax breaks for folks at the top. CHORUS

Now I've had enough of this Hood Robin stuff.
Let's get rid of that sucker for good,
Send him and his band to some faraway land
And bring back good old Robin Hood. CHORUS

by Paul McKenna © 2015
Tune: “YMCA” by the Village People
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

People want affordable care
For their families so they know that it’s there
When they need it, so in 2010,
We enacted legislation.
Congress fin’lly stepped to the plate
And decided we could no longer wait
And they acted for the good of the land,
To bring health care to the nation.

CHORUS: And so we’re saying hooray ACA,
This legislation is with us to stay.
After so many years, we have finally won,
And a new day has now begun.
And we are saying hooray ACA,
And we’re not letting them take it away.
No matter what they do, no matter how they attack,
We’re movin’ forward, we ain’t goin’ back.

The right wing has been reeling in shock,
And they blabber and they talk and they talk.
They’re determined that they’ll turn back the clock,
Seems they have not heard the news that,
People have been getting the word,
And they’ve signed up and at last they’re insured
And they’re finding that their hope is restored,
And we don’t intend to lose that. CHORUS

REPEAT CHORUS

by Paul McKenna © 2021
(Tune: “I Ain’t Got No Home” by Woody Guthrie)
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

I ain’t got no home, I’m just a-roamin’ ‘round.
My address is wherever I happen to lay down.
The police, they make it hard, everywhere I go,
And I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.

I’m living in a tent, I pitch it where I can,
Until the cops say “move along,” with another camping ban.
Sometimes I end up sleeping on someone else’s floor,
‘Cause I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.

I used to have a place that I could call my own,
But then the landlord raised the rent and forced me from my home.
Got fired from my job--that left me sick and poor.
Now I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.

Tried living in a shelter, that didn’t work for me.
One time I got pneumonia, then it was T.B.
I nearly lost my life, I ain’t doin ‘that no more,
Now I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.

I keep all my belongings in this gunny sack,
Or in this canvas duffel bag I carry on my back,
Or in this shopping cart I took from a Safeway store,
“Cause I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.

Last summer it got hot, so hot I almost fried.
This winter it got cold, so cold I nearly died.
Sometimes it’s just not safe to be living out of doors,
But I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.

A lifetime ago now, I signed up for the Corps.
In Iraq and Afghanistan I did a couple tours.
I lost a lot of pals, I still don’t know what for,
Now I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.

Each day I walk the streets, tryin to keep out of the rain.
I stand on street corners askin’ people for spare change.
Most times they look away, tryin’ to ignore,
That I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.

I really hate to beg or be stinkin’ up the place,
But I’d appreciate it if you’d look me in the face.
Someday it could be you, who knows what life has in store.
Then you won’t have a home in this world anymore.

I ain’t got no home, I’m just a-roamin’ ‘round.
My address is wherever I happen to lay down.
The police, they make it hard, everywhere I go,
And I ain’t got no home in this world anymore.

Download printable PDF

I can hear my neighbor crying 'I can't breathe'
Now I'm in the struggle, and I can't leave
Calling out the violence of the racist police
We ain't gonna stop till people are free
We ain't gonna stop till people are free

(Written by Jim Garland for the Almanac Singers)
Download printable version (revised 1/9/12)

I don't want your millions, Mister,
I don't want your diamond ring.
All I want is the right to live, Mister,
Give me back my job again.

Now, I don't want your Rolls-Royce, Mister,
I don't want your pleasure yacht.
All I want's just food for my babies,
Give to me my old job back.

We worked to build this country, Mister,
While you enjoyed a life of ease.
You've stolen all that we built, Mister,
Now our children starve and freeze. (CHORUS)

Think me dumb if you wish, Mister,
Call me green, or blue, or red.
This one thing I sure know, Mister,
My hungry babies must be fed.

Take the two old parties, Mister,
No difference in them I can see.
But with a Farmer-Labor Party We could set the people free.

So, CHORUS Give me back my job again.

by Paul McKenna © 1981
(Tune: “I Saw The Light” by Hank Williams)
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

I used to think that the boss was my friend.
I’d stand behind him through thick and thin,
Workin’ all day and into the night,
That was me till I saw the light.

I saw myself as one of a team,
Part of the great American dream.
The company was growin’, the future looked bright.
So I thought till I saw the light.

CHORUS: I saw the light, I saw the light,
I realized that the Union was right.
Now I am ready to stand up and fight.
I’m with the Union, I saw the light.

The union organizer came to our shop.
He said that we needed a voice on the job,
But I said “I don’t need no union, the company treats me right.”
That’s what I said till I saw the light.

Then out of the blue came the cutbacks in staff.
Our working force was cut by one half,
And they said “Please understand, our budget is tight.”
That’s the day I saw the light. CHORUS

Long-term employees were thrown out the door.
Young folks and new hires, they stayed on board.
Our big happy family was busted up that night,
And all of a sudden, I saw the light. CHORUS

REPEAT CHORUS

by Paul McKenna © 2020
Tune: “I Won’t Grow Up” from “Peter Pan”
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

I won’t give up (I won’t give up)
Or acknowledge that I lost (or acknowledge that I lost).
I don’t care about the damage (I don’t care about the damage).
I don’t care about the cost (I don’t care about the cost).
If giving up means asking me
To show a smidgen of maturity
I’ll never give up, never grow up, never give up
Not me!

I won’t concede (I won’t concede).
The election was a sham (the election was a sham).
Mail-in ballots are illegal (mail-on ballots are illegal)
And a Democratic scam (and a Democratic scam).
If it means acting decently
Or with a modicum of dignity
I’ll never give up, never grow up, never give up,
Not me!

Never will admit defeat, I won’t!
Never will initiate transition.
Stalling and obstructing is my mission,
Joe can go to Hell,
Kamala as well!

I won’t step down (I won’t step down),
For another twenty years (for another twenty years).
I’ll be president forever (I’ll be president forever)
Like my buddy Vladimir (like my buddy Vladimir).
If stepping down requires me
To do what’s best for our democracy,
I’ll never step down, never step down,
I’ll never grow up, never grow up,
I’ll never give up, never give up,
Never give up, not me!
No sir!
So there!

by Paul McKenna © 1996
Tune: “England Swings” by Roger Miller
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

CHORUS: Idaho stinks like a dirty dog do.
It’s a right-to-work state and the rich make the rules.
The unions are weak, the wages are low,
So don’t turn our state into Idaho.

Now if you are a boss, and you want to cut your costs,
You want to be in total charge, holdin’ all the cards,
Take my advice before you make your choice,
Let me tell you where to go—go to Idaho. ‘Cause…CHORUS

Well, Idaho’s a state with a lot o’ millionaires,
A lot o’money flowin, but few get a share.
You’re either on the top and you’re a rollin’ in the dough,
Or you’re barely getting’ by—that’s Idaho. ‘Cause…CHORUS

Workers in our state are union and proud.
We don’t want no part of that open shop crowd,
So if they want your signature, tell ‘em hell no,
On right-to-work-for-less—leave it in Idaho. ‘Cause…CHORUS

REPEAT CHORUS

(If You Miss Me at the Back of the Bus)       
Download printable version (revised 5/17/12)
Words: Dan Howard, Abby Caplin, Ami Goodman
 
If you miss me in the office today
You can’t find me nowhere
Come on down to the Occupy Camp
I’ll be working right there

I lost a good job at the factory
Now I can’t pay the rent
They drove my family from our home
Now we’re all living in a tent

If you miss me paying fees at the bank,
You can't find me nowhere.
Come on down to the credit union
My deposits are going right there.

If you miss me in the board room
Wearing my suit and tie
Meet me down in the city square
That we’ll all occupy

If you miss me at the university
You can’t find me nowhere
Come on down to the police line
I’m getting my education there
[Shout:] No pepper spray!

If you miss me at the longshore docks
You can’t find me nowhere
Come on down to the picket line
I’ll be hauling right there

If your wages have been recently cut
And your money’s all spent
Come downtown and march with us
We’re the ninety-nine percent

Appalachian folk tune, original lyrics by Sarah Ogan Gunning,
new lyrics by Leslie Hassberg
Download printable version (created 5/6/17)

Chorus
I'm-a gonna organize, babe of mine (2x)
I'm-a gonna organize, yes I'm gonna organize,
I'm-a gonna organize, babe of mine.
 
Verses
Poisoned water, earth and air, babe of mine (3x)
Corporations do not care,
So I'm gonna organize, babe of mine.
 
Prisons full of poor and black, babe of mine (3x)
Lose their votes and they can't fight back,
So I'm gonna organize, babe of mine.

Hate and bullying are rife, babe of mine (3x)
Another queer kid takes his life,
So I'm gonna organize, babe of mine.
 
Health and drug costs on the rise, babe of mine (3x)
The sick go bankrupt to survive,
So I'm gonna organize, babe of mine.
 
Muslim neighbors demonized, babe of mine (3x)
Religious freedom must be prized,
So I'm gonna organize, babe of mine.

Infrastructure in collapse, babe of mine (3x)
The rich must pay their share of tax,
So I'm gonna organize, babe of mine.

Cops abuse the stop and frisk, babe of mine (3x)
Our fourth amendment rights at risk,
So I'm gonna organize, babe of mine.

Take a stand, join hands with me, babe of mine (3x) 
For human rights and democracy,
Yes, we're gonna organize, babe of mine.

Download printable version with chords (created 1/9/12)

Words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1964 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1993. Verses 4 and 6 by Joel Landy, edited by Nancy Schimmel, verse 5 by Nancy Schimmel       
Download printable version (revised 2/18/17)

It isn't nice to block the doorway,
It isn't nice to go to jail,
There are nicer ways to do it,
But the nice ways always fail.
It isn't nice, it isn't nice,
You told us once, you told us twice,
But if that is Freedom's price,
We don't mind.

It isn't nice to carry banners
Or to sit in on the floor,
Or to shout our cry of Freedom
At the hotel and the store.
It isn't nice, it isn't nice,
You told us once, you told us twice,
But if that is Freedom's price,
We don't mind.

We have tried negotiations
And the token picket line,
Mr. Charlie didn't see us
We didn't even cross his mind.
Now our new ways aren't nice
When we deal with men of ice,
But if that is Freedom's price,
We don't mind.

When the corporation bandits
Tanked our economy
Did you say it wasn't proper?
Did you stand for you and me?
You were quiet just like mice,
Now you say we aren't nice
And if that is freedom's price,
We don't mind.

You think women are your servants
And your playthings and your pets
You said Hillary was nasty
Well, you ain't seen nothing yet
Not your sugar, not your spice
We are way past being nice
And if that is freedom's price, we don't mind.

It isn't nice to shout for justice
It isn't nice to make demands
Or to gather by the thousands
No matter what the law commands
It isn't nice, it isn't nice
Well, thanks for your advice
Cause if that is freedom's price,
We don't mind.

by Paul McKenna © 1999
Tune: “It’s A Long Way To Tipperary”
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

There’s a right way for temporaries when the need is bonafide.
If the work should fluctuate or vary, a temporary is justified.
And if you pay and treat them fairly, a temporary’s rightly used,
But it’s a wrong, wrong way for temporaries, when temporaries are abused.

I have a friend, her name is Mary, and Mary works here every day,
And Mary is a temporary--well, at least, that’s what they say,
But, my friends, it’s truly scary, the way that Mary is misused.
For it’s a wrong, wrong way for temporaries, when temporaries are abused.

It's a wrong way for temporaries when you stay around for years,
When you always must be wary and inhibited by fears.
If you complain or act contrary, it’s a cinch--you're gonna lose.
And it’s a wrong, wrong way for temporaries, when temporaries are abused.

It’s a wrong way for temporaries, when you get no benefits.
No sick leave and no health care ei-ther. Let me tell you, it’s the pits.
But now it’s time to face it squarely and to end this shameful ruse,
For it's a wrong, wrong way for temporaries, when temporaries are abused.
But we will see a brand new day for temporaries, when we join SEIU.

Words by Bonnie Lockhart; chorus to Hard Ain't It Hard, (Woody Guthrie); verse to New River Train, traditional
Download printable version

It's hard, ain’t it hard, ain’t it hard,
Ya can’t get easy oil anymore,
It's hard, ain’t it hard, ain’t it hard, great God!
‘Cause fossil fuel is just a dinosaur.
Darlin’ you can't drill in the sea, Darlin’ you can't drill in the sea,
If you drill in the sea, just remember BP!
Darlin’ you can’t drill in the sea.

Darlin’ you can’t pump the Tar Sands, (2x)
If you pump the Tar Sands you pollute the heartlands,
Darlin’ you can’t pump the Tar Sands.

Darlin’ you can’t drill the North Slope, (2x)
If you drill the North Slope people rise up and say “Nope!”
Darlin’ you can’t drill the North Slope.

Darlin’ you can’t take it from Iraq, (2x)
If you take it from Iraq there is major blow back,
Darlin’ you can’t take it from Iraq.

Darlin’ you can’t frack natural gas, (2x)
If you frack natural gas, that’s a gas we ought to pass!
Darlin’ you can’t frack natural gas.

Darlin’ you can’t drill anywhere, (2x)
You can’t drill anywhere, there’s too much carbon in the air,
Darlin’ you can’t drill anywhere.

Simon and Garfunkel
Download printable version (revised 1/17/12)

Last night I had the strangest dream
I'd ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war
I dreamed I saw a mighty room
All filled with women and men
And the paper they were signing said
We'd never fight again.

And when the paper all was signed
And a million copies made
They all joined hands and bowed their
heads
And grateful prayers were prayed
And the people in the streets below
Were dancing round and round
And swords and guns and uniforms
Were scattered on the ground.

Last night I had the strangest dream
I'd ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war

Music: Get Back (Lennon-McCartney) New words: copywrite 2013 Bernard Gilbert        Download printable version
Chorus
Let’s frack let’s frack,
Let’s frack like fracking is the best.
Let’s frack, let’s frack,
Let someone else clean up the mess!

Big Oil sees the fields, and Big Oil wants a pipeline,
Big Oil’s fracking everywhere.
Big Oil knows that fracking causes global warming
Big Oil really doesn’t care.

Chorus

Don’t talk about the steam that comes out of your faucet,
Don’t talk about the toxic salts,
Don’t talk about the solvents leaking in the water,
Lets frack along an earthquake fault!

Chorus

Talk economic growth, don’t mention conservation,
Say our nation must expand,
Say that there are jobs depending on this fracking
Salute the flag, strike up the band.

Chorus (2x)

(Little Boxes by Malvina Reynolds)
New words by Nancy Schimmel and Claudia Morrow
Download printable version (revised 10/6/21)

Little shelters in the Caymans,
Little shelters made of hanky-panky,
Little shelters in the Caymans,
And we don’t mean grass huts,
These are shelters for corporations
Who don’t think they have enough of them
So they buy up legislators who will give them tax cuts.

Little shelters from taxes
South Dakota has a lot of them,
But they don’t make little shelters
That will fit you and me,
So us little folks pay the taxes
And the big guys get the benefits
So they have more money to subvert democracy.

(Repeat first verse)

*Update with your favorite corrupt politician

By Malvina Reynolds, new 2nd verse by Nancy Schimmel
Download printable version (revised 1/18/12)

CHORUS
Love is something if you give it away,
Give it away, give it away,
Love is something if you give it away,
You end up having more.

It's just like a magic penny,
Hold it tight and you won't have any.
Lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many,
They'll roll all over the floor.

CHORUS

Money doesn't have magic in it,
Things we buy might break in a minute.
Love's a circle, so let's begin it
And bring it to every door.

CHORUS

So let's go dancing til the break of day,
And if there's a piper we can play,
'Cause love is something if you give it away,
You'll end up having more.

See “original” second verse and its history

by Paul McKenna © 2021
Tune: “Mansion on the Hill” by Hank Williams
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

The minimum wage needs increasing.
It’s long overdue for a raise,
But the Senator from West Virginia
Is stubbornly blocking the way.

We could raise it to fifteen an hour,
As part of the big budget bill,
But we need fifty Democrats to pass it,
So call Joe Manchin on the Hill!

Republicans will not support us,
Despite all our lobbying skill,
We’ve got zero margin for error,  
So call Joe Manchin on the Hill.  

We’ve waited so long for this moment.
Next year we could be waiting still.
So pick up your phone right this minute,
And call Joe Manchin on the Hill.

You can reach him in his Senate office,
Right up there on Capitol Hill,
We need him to hear from working people,
So call Joe Manchin on the Hill.
202-224-3954,
Just call Joe Manchin on the Hill.

by Paul McKenna © 20o1
(Tune: Mademoiselle from Armetieres”)
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

Marginalize the privateers, parlez-vous,
Marginalize the privateers, parlez-vous.
Marginalize the privateers, throw ‘em right out on their ears.
Inky-dinky, parlez vous..

Privatization is a hoax, parlez-vous,
Privatization is a hoax, parlez-vous.
Privatization is a hoax, another attack on working folks.
Inky-dinky, parlez vous..

Competition is all the rage, parlez-vous,
Competition is all the rage, parlez-vous.
Competition is all the rage, cut the staffing and slash the wage.
Inky-dinky, parlez vous..

Public funding in jeopardy, parlez-vous,
Public funding in jeopardy, parlez-vous,
Public funding in jeopardy, so give the work over to industry,
Inky-dinky, parlez vous..

They skim off the cream and leave the rest, parlez-vous,
They skim off the cream and leave the rest, parlez-vous,
They skim off the cream and leave the rest, while someone else cleans up the mess.
Inky-dinky, parlez vous..

We’re taking a stand for quality, parlez-vous,
We’re taking a stand for quality, parlez-vous.
We’re taking a stand for quality, and public accountability,
Inky-dinky, parlez vous..

It’s time to bring the work back in, parlez vous.
It’s time to bring the work back in, parlez vous.
It’s time to bring the work back in, we’ll fight this fight until we win.
Inky-dinky, parlez vous..

So marginalize the privateers, parlez-vous,
Marginalize the privateers, parlez-vous.
Marginalize the privateers, throw ‘em right out on their ears.
Inky-dinky, parlez vous..

Music adapted from Leadbelly's Meeting at the Building;
New words, Bonnie Lockhart        Download printable version

Meeting at the Crossroads
Come on over, come on over, come on over
Meeting at the Crossroads, come on over
All over this world

Meeting here for gender justice
Meeting here for racial justice
Meeting here for climate justice
Economic justice too

Power at the Crossroads. . .
Women at the Crossroads. . . Organize the Crossroads. . .
Marching at the Crossroads. . . Rally at the Crossroads
Singing at the Crossroads. . . Struggle at the Crossroads

Words and music by Malvina Reynolds; copyright 1966 Schroder Music Company, renewed 1994.   Download printable version (created 3/11/12)

Well, money has its own way,
And money has to grow.
It grows on human blood and bone,
As any child would know.
It's iron stuff and paper stuff
With no life of its own,
And so it takes its growing sap
From human blood and bone.

And many a child goes hungering
Because the wage is low,
And men die on the battlefield
To make the money grow.
And those that take the money crop
Are avid without end,
They plant it in the tenements
To make it grow again.

The little that they leave for us,
It cannot be a seed.
We spend it for the shoddy clothes
And every daily need.
We spend it in a minute,
In an hour it is gone,
To find its way to grow again
On human blood and bone,
Blood and bone.

Tune: Done Laid Around; New lyrics: Nancy Schimmel
Download printable version (created 5/19/12)

Chorus:
Banksters have played around with my account too long
Th’economy’s almost gone and worse is comin’ on
Banksters have played around with my account too long
And I feel like I’ll move my money on

Wall Street does the crime and we are getting caught
Wall Street banks are gamblers, local banks are not
Wall Street does the crime and we are getting caught
And I feel like I’ll move my money on
Chorus

Time to put that nest egg in a better nest
Find a credit union, they’re the very best
Time to put that nest egg in a better nest
And I feel like I’ll move my money on
Chorus

When I'm buying local, don't use my credit card,
The fees the bankers charge hit the little stores too hard,
When I'm buying local, don't use my credit card,
And I feel like I’ll move my money on
Chorus

©2008 Betsy Rose         Download printable version (revised 1/20/12)   

My country tis of thee
Sweet land no longer free
From shore to shore
Our bill of rights destroyed
Too many unemployed
Our soldiers redeployed
In endless war

My country, here and now
I make this solemn vow
New hope to bring
Let justice rule again
The Constitution mend
We will rebuild a land
Where freedom rings

by Pat Humphries        Download printable PDF

[We're] Gonna keep on
walking forward, Keep
on walking forward (2x)
Never turning back (2x)
Gonna keep on walking
proudly, Keep on walking
proudly, (2x) Never...
Gonna keep on singing
loudly... Gonna reach across
our borders...Gonna keep on
loving boldly...Gonna work
for change together...
Gonna show our children
courage...Gonna live with
peaceful justice...

(to the tune of Sixteen Tons by Merle Travis; new words by Bonnie Lockhart)     Download printable version file creation date 4/19/17

Chorus:
Better leave that coal where the sun don't shine
Don't load that train, don't dig that mine
Tagami better listen, 'cause we're throwin' down
We don't want coal here in Oakland town
Tagami's got a plan that's no damn good
Movin' coal through the neighborhood
Movin' coal, makin' our kids sick
Sendin' it to China just to get rich quick

Now some people say it'll bring us wealth
But they'll make money and we'll lose health
Chokin' on dust while the planet fries
We don't want coal and we don't take lies

Now some people say, we can't keep 'em out
They got the money and they got clout
But we got something that they can't see:
People's power and energy!

(Original by Woody Guthrie, new words by Hali Hammer)
Download printable version (created 6/8/12)

I been doing some hard traveling, I thought you knowd
I been doing some hard traveling way down the road
I been doing some hard traveling, hard rambling, hard gambling
I been doing some hard traveling, Lord

I been singing with Occupella, I thought you knowd
I been singing to Tax the Rich - on Solano
Passin' songbooks, marchin' and rallyin',
Playing for causes, I ain't been a-dallyin'
I been doing some hard traveling, Lord (Chorus)

I been workin' to stop foreclosures, I thought you knowd
I been workin' for homes and health care way down the road
Folks been laid off, folks been a-fired,
Greedy corporations sure get you tired
I been doing some hard traveling, Lord (Chorus)

I been singing at Occupations, I thought you knowd
I been working for jobs and justice way down the road
Folks in the street, the Interfaiths prayin',
Students strikin', cops pepper sprayin'
I been doing some hard traveling, Lord (Chorus)

I been workin' 'gainst corporations, I thought you knowd
To get them to pay their fair share way down the road,
They pay no tax, not one red cent 'cause they side with the 1%
I been doing some hard traveling, Lord (Chorus)

Tune: Da Do Ron Ron by JEFF BARRY, ELLIE GREENWICH,
PHIL SPECTOR, new words by Nancy Schimmel   
Download printable version (revised 1/17/12)                                 

We’re tired of the cycles of boom and bust,
We’ll occupy-pie, we’ll occupy.
The dough is only rising for the upper crust,
We’ll occupy-pie, we’ll occupy.

Oh, the boom and bust,
Oh, the upper crust,
If you take our homes
We’ll occupy-pie, we’ll occupy.

It isn’t cherry and it isn’t lime,
It’s occupy-pie, it’s occupy.
It’s your just deserts and it’s just in time,
It’s occupy-pie, it’s occupy.

Oh, it isn’t lime,
Oh, it’s just in time,
If you take our homes
We’ll occupy-py, we’ll occupy.

There’s a slice for you and a slice for me,
It’s occupy-pie, it’s occupy.
This here pie will set the people free,
It’s occupy-pie, it’s occupy.

Oh, a slice for me,
Oh, set the people free,
If you take our homes
We’ll occupy-pie, we’ll occupy.

by Paul McKenna © 2001
Tune: “Summertime Blues” by Eddie Cochran
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

Well I’m gonna raise a fuss, Lord, I’m gonna raise a holler,
About workin’ day and night just to try to earn a dollar.
Well sometimes I wonder what I’m gonna do,
‘Cause there ain’t no cure for the overtime blues.

For six long weeks I worked without a day off.
When the rush was over I was lookin’ at a layoff.
Yeah, it’s boom or bust and either way you lose,
‘Cause their ain’t no cure for the overtime blues.

Now the eight-hour day was a great labor vict’ry,
But lately it’s fading into ancient history,
And the forty-hour week is a lie and a ruse,
‘Cause there ain’t no cure for the overtime blues.

Well, we held a nationwide strike at Verizon,
And we beat forced overtime with good organizin’.
So spread the word about the joyful news—
We found a cure for the overtime blues!

Tune: Wabash Cannonball
New words: Nancy Schimmel
Download printable version (created 6/14/15)       

I got the world on a spoon and I've got nature in my lap
When blueberry and strawberry seasons overlap,
The taste is just like heaven but the color scheme's the deal
Just add organic yogurt, got a patriotic meal.

I'm loyal to my country, to its forests and its lakes,
From the bighorn sheep and polar bears to the frogs and toads and snakes,
The toddlers in the playground, the workers in the field
Who pick the juicy berries in my patriotic meal.

So when the corporations spray pesticides around
They should know they're treading on my sacred ground
I sing this song to tell them just the way I feel
I don't want any poison in my patriotic meal.

I don't want the CO2 that comes from shipping food,
Chilean berries do not fit my patriotic mood
Nor do I want your Driscolls, till you get that union seal
I want local union labor in my patriotic meal.

Tune: Pay Me My Money Down, traditional from the Georgia Sea Islands
New words: Bonnie Lockhart        
Download printable version (revised 5/21/12)   

Chorus:
Pay up, oh pay up,
Pay up your corporate tax,
Pay up or go to jail,
Pay up your corporate tax.

Schools and parks and clinics shuttered/ pay up your corporate tax,
Look whose bre-ad is still buttered/ pay up your corporate tax.

All those teachers won't get laid off/ pay up your corporate tax
___When Chevron's tax is paid off/ pay up your corporate tax

Chevron Oi-l has no scruples/ pay up your corporate tax
Gonna close up all your loopholes/ pay up your corporate tax

Verizon, Chevron, B of A/ pay up your corporate tax
___We're gonna make you pay/ pay up your corporate tax

Your tax shelters cannot save ya/ pay up your corporate tax
Gotta stop your bad behavior/ pay up your corporate tax

Better pay, we'll tell you why/ pay up your corporate tax
If you don't pay, we'll occupy/ pay up your corporate tax

Jose-Luis Orozco     Download printable version (revised 1/9/12)

Paz, queremos paz
Y libertad en este mundo (sing twice)

Para los ni~nos de todo el mundo
Queremos paz y libertad (2x)

Paz, queremos paz...

Ya no mas hambre ya no mas guerra,
queremos paz y libertad (2x)

Paz, queremos paz..
.
Para los pobres y los ancianos,
queremos paz y libertad (2x)

Paz, queremos paz...

(music "Sweet bye & Bye", words by Joe Hill)
Download printable version (revised 5/21/12)

Long-haired preachers come out every night
Try to tell you what's wrong & what's right
But when asked, "How 'bout something to eat?"
They will answer in voices so sweet:

You will eat, bye & bye,
In that glorious land above the sky (Way up high!)
Work & pray, live on hay
You'll get pie in the sky when you die (That's a lie!)

O the Starvation Army they play
& they sing & they clap & they pray
Till they get all your coin on the drum
Then they'll tell you when you're on the bum

If you fight hard for children & wife
Try to get something good in this life
You're a sinner & bad man, they tell
When you die you will sure go to Hell

Holy Rollers & Jumpers come out
And they holler, they jump & they shout
"Give your money to Jesus" they say
"He will cure all diseases today"

Workingfolk of all countries, unite
Side by side we for freedom will fight
When the world & its wealth we have gained
To the grafter we sing this refrain:

You will eat bye & bye, When you learn how to cook & to fry
Chop some wood, 'twill do you good
And you'll eat in the sweet bye & bye (that's no lie!)

by Paul McKenna © 1980
Tune: “A Miner's Life”
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

The times are tough for public workers. Every day it's something new--
Furlough days and hiring freezes, freezes in our wages, too,
Paychecks pounded by inflation, budgets cut down to the bone.
We have got to stick together. It's no time to stand alone.

CHORUS: Public workers, stand together,
Stand with pride and dignity.
We are all in this together,
Every public employee.

Power-hungry politicians, trying to fuel their own careers
Use the workers as their scapegoat, playing on the public's fear.
They turn the populace against us with the lies they fabricate.
Let's tell our side of the story. Then we'll set the record straight. CHORUS

Profiteering corporations feeding at the public trough
Are taking over public programs, laying long-time workers off.
They paint us all a pretty picture of doing more and costing less,
Then skip town with all the money, leaving us to fix the mess. CHORUS

Workers in the private sector, we're no different from you.
We work hard to feed our families, pay our rent and taxes, too.
It doesn't matter who we work for, we're all workers like yourselves,
So whenever they attack us, they're attacking you as well.

FINAL CHORUS: Working people, stand together,
Stand with pride and dignity,
We are all in this together,
Stand in solidarity.

REPEAT FINAL CHORUS

Words: Ray Glazer, Music: Bill Wolff, new verses: Leslie Hassberg
 Download printable version (reivsed 4/06/18)         video

If you want a decent job, the kind with benefits,
Just scan and post your résumé and you'll get lots of hits,
You'll get lots of hits, my friend, and offers by the score,
Fantastic pay will come your way, with guarantees of more.

Chorus
Oh, put it on the ground, spread it all around,
Dig it with a hoe – it will make your flowers grow!

If your house is upside down, foreclosure looms each day,
Just modify the mortgage with your with friends at B of A,
They have at heart the interest of our community,
Your home is saved, your way is paved to great security.

For Exxon, Chevron and BP I'm feeling such regret,
The taxes that we make them pay are keeping them in debt,
Big oil just no influence on Congress or the courts,
They have no say, just pay and pay, now aren't they real good sports?

The teachers, cops, the EMTs, the clerks who run the County,
They hold us hostage with demands, they're raking in the bounty,
While financiers and CEOs must scrimp and sacrifice,
They're in despair, it's so unfair to make them pay the price.

Our students, staff and faculty feel happy and supported,
This talk of protest on the Net is biased and distorted,
The Board of Regents' policies are wise and conflict-free,
Tuition hikes and general strikes are just a fallacy.

Karl Rove united citizens to save democracy,
With clean campaigns and corporate accountability,
The Constitution guarantees free speech to those who pay,
The 1% can represent the rest of us, hooray!

For military contractors I regularly cry,
They have to beg for every cent while we are flying high,
They operate behind the scenes, security's the goal,
It's policy, we all agree to let them have control.

My body is a mystery I cannot hope to know,
Why would I want to learn of sex, abortion, birth control?
My mind and morals are too weak to influence my fate,
Here's what I'll do -- I'll leave it to insurers, church and state!

The oil and gas and trees on earth are here for human use,
They're begging to fulfill our needs, we have to set them loose!
This warming trend is just a fluke, likewise the rising sea,
But if we screw up Planet A, we'll move to Planet B.

Black folks are rich and powerful, they hold exalted status,
The cops enforce the status quo while guns are pointing at us.
They claim the choicest jobs and posts at universities,
If only we could equalize those opportunities!

Guantánamo belongs to us for all eternity,
The base and prison guarantee U.S. security,
The Cuban people want our goods but hate democracy,
Embargo is the only way to set those Commies free!

Our food and soil are A-1 prime, Big Ag has solved the plight
Of farmers needing seeds and rain and bees to grow things right,
Mix fracking liquid, glyphosate and chemical fertilizing,
Add GMOs to all that grows, now ain't that appetizing?

The NRA and GOP, we know they have our backs,
They want to keep us safe and sound from all those mass attacks,
An arsenal in every home, a gun in every hand,
AR 15s with magazines, now that's a safety plan!

This program they call Urban Shield is great for you and me,
They're training cops in SWAT techniques, just like on your TV,
They need those tanks and weaponry to combat terror threats,
Like kids with toys and young black boys and suicidal vets.

(Do Lord Remember Me); New words byNancy Schimmel
 Download printable version (revised 1/17/12) 

What is this I’m eating? I want to know.
What is this I’m eating? I want to know.
What is this I’m eating? I want to know.
So I won’t eat GMO.

Put it on the label, I want to know.
Put it on the label, I want to know.
Put it on the label, I want to know.
So I won’t eat GMO

I won’t be your guinea pig, I want to know (3x)
And I won’t eat GMO

Gonna make Monsanto tell me, I want to know. (3x)
So I won’t eat GMO

I got an allergy to ignorance, I want to know. (3x)
So I won’t eat GMO

Put it on the label, I want to know. (3x)
So I won’t eat GMO

(To Iko Iko, as recorded by the Dixie Cups; new words, Bonnie Lockhart)     Download printable version (revised 1/9/12)

Talkin' 'bout hey now! Hey now!
Raise the minimum wage
'Round the country the people say:
Raise the minimum wage

My grown daughter, your grown son, going deep in debt
Cannot pay their student loans on the wages they get

My grown daughter, your grown son, threatened with foreclosure
If Walmart will not raise their wage, I might lose my composure

You can't save but one thin dime, when your paycheck's measly
Walton family's so filthy rich; they could fix that eas'ly

Childcare, food and medicines, then your paycheck's spent
Walmart workers can't afford t' pay Bay Area rent

Walmart workers need food stamps; I think that's a crime!
Living wages! Benefits! Good jobs paid full time!

Sung to Red River Valley, new words by Mainstreet Moms & Occupella        Download printable version

Please don’t frack up our land in the Valley,
We must leave all that oil in the ground,
Why not use other ways to get power?
Lots of sunshine and wind all around!

Come & sing for this land if you love it,
Come and rally with thousands to say,
“Gov'ner Brown, you had best pay attention,
We must ban fracking, starting today!”

Occidental Petroleum wants profits,
They don’t care if they poison our state,
But if all of us shout out, “No Fracking!”
We can ban it before it’s too late!

Ralph Chaplin        Download printable version (created 5/29/14)

When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run,
There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun;
Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one,
But the union makes us strong.

CHORUS:
Solidarity forever,
Solidarity forever,
Solidarity forever,
For the union makes us strong.

It is we who plowed the prairies; built the cities where they trade;
Dug the mines and built the workshops,
endless miles of railroad laid;
Now we stand outcast and starving midst the wonders
we have made;
But the union makes us strong.
Chorus

They have taken untold millions that they never toiled to earn,
But without our brain and muscle not a single wheel can turn.
We can break their haughty power, gain our freedom when we learn
That the union makes us strong.
Chorus

In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold,
Greater than the might of armies, magnified a thousand-fold.
We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old
For the union makes us strong.

Tune: Bringing In the Sheaves, new words: Nancy Schimmel
 Download printable version (created 12/22/16) 

Chorus
Singing for us all, singing for us all
Singing through the dark times,
Singing for us all... (repeat all)

Singing for the Muslim, singing for the Buddhist,
Singing for the Christian, singing for the Jew,
First they come for strangers, folks you'd never notice,
Then they come for neighbors, then they come for you.

Chorus

Lady of the Harbor, welcoming the homeless,
Telling those who hunger to enter and be fed,
Let us be her servants, bringing in the harvest,
Singing in the courage for the days ahead.

Chorus.

Words, Peggy Seeger; Original song, Maurice Sugar
Download printable version  Sit Down (audio)

There’s Wall Street here and Wall Street there, Sit down, sit down
That’s why we’re sitting down everywhere, Sit down, sit down

Chorus:
Sit down, just take a seat, Sit down and rest your feet
Sit down on the concrete, Sit down, sit down!

When they’ve thrown your mortgage over the hedge, sit down...
When you’re down and out and close to the edge, sit down, sit...

When the system leaves you out in the cold
When you’ve lost your job and your life’s on hold

When your pension’s gone and your wage is cut
And the bankers tell you they’re hard up 

When the media lie and cheat and steal
Here’s how to tell them how you feel

When public services get the ax
When corporations pay no tax

When the rich get richer and the poor stay poor
When there’s always cash for another war

When they take the students’ grants away
And your kids are in debt till they’re old and gray

When they take your home and your savings too
There’s only one thing left to do

When the one percent is running the show
Then ninety-nine percent say NO

Don’t get drunk, don’t get high
Get together and occupy

(From "North Atlantic" by Paul Jarrico, tweaked by Occupella and the ReSisters)             Download printable version (created 4/29/14)

Some subversive evening - You may find a stranger
You may find a stranger - From the NSA
Then somehow you know - You know even then
That somewhere you'll see him - Again and again

Some subversive evening - Someone may be listening
You may hear him listening - On the telephone
And night after night - Whatever is said
You'll wonder if someone is under your bed
He'll watch what you read and strange as it seems
He'll spy on your thoughts - Even on your dreams

Some subversive evening
When you find your G-Man
You may see him watch you -Across a crowded room
Then remember the flag - Oh, say, can you see
Our Constitution declares we are free
Who is subversive? Who do you say?
Who is subversive? You or the NSA?

Music by Jean Sibelius (1899) / Words by Lloyd Stone (1934)
Download printable version (revised 11/26/16)

This is my song, Oh God of all the nations
A song of peace for lands afar and mine
This is my home the country where my heart is
Here are my hopes my dreams my holy shrine
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean
And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine
But other lands have sunshine too, and clover
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine
O hear my song thou God of all the nations
A song of peace for their land and for mine.

by Paul McKenna © 2011
Tune: “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

When the rich control all the country’s wealth
And our leaders are servants to their needs
Then the time has come for the working folks
To stand up and fight back in unity.

CHORUS: So brothers, sisters, stand with us
Oh-oh stand with us,
Stand up for a nation that is just.

Now the Governor and his well-heeled friends
Have declared war on Wisconsin’s working class.
And if we sit back and let them have their way,
Then our downfall will surely come to pass. CHORUS

If the middle class in America
Like a mountain should crumble to the sea,
Tell me who will remain to keep our country strong
And to fuel our nation’s economy?

CHORUS:

To the tune of "Yellow Rose of Texas"
New words by Nancy Schimmel & Bonnie Lockhart
 Download printable version (revised 11/26/16)

The Dakota Access Pipeline
Is a pipeline straight from hell
And where it meets the river
They're bound to have a spill
A lot of Sioux from Standing Rock
Are standing 'gainst the pipe,
They know the safety promises
Are just a lot of hype.

It's a company in Texas
That threatens Standing Rock
Kelcy Warren owns it
Or he owns a lot of stock
Mr. Warren gave Republicans
A million and a half
So in every bill in Congress
He'll own a paragraph

You oilmen down in Texas
It's time to get a clue
Your oil thing is over,
Quit belching CO2
The tribes have come to tell you
From Oneida to Lanai
Leave the oil in North Dakota
And kiss fossil fuel goodbye

Words: American Miners Union circa 1860. Traditional Irish melody.
Download printable version (revised 11/26/16)

Step by step the longest march
Can be won, can be won,
Many stones can form an arch,
Singly none, singly none,
And by union what we will
Can be accomplished still,
Drops of water turn the mill,
Singly none, singly none.

Rewrite for the 99% Movement   Download printable version revised 1/18/12)
Bonnie Lockhart
Hear the tune with original words

Democrats won in Oh Eight, but I still ain’t satisfied,
‘Cause we still got a corporate state, and I still. . .
       It’s not the party of the hour
       It’s the Wall Street gang that’s  got the power
And I still ain’t, woa, they lied (x3)
And I still ain’t satisfied.

We’re working hard to fight cut backs, but I still. . . .
Until Wells Fargo pays their tax, and I still. . .
If we taxed the banks and the very wealthy
Our safety net would still be healthy. . .

We saw “An Inconvenient Truth”  but I still. . .
‘Cause carbon’s going through the roof, and I still. . .
When lobbies buy our politicians
They will not stop toxic emissions . . .

They say the Iraq war is done, but I still. . .
‘Cause they’re rattling sabers at Iran, and I still. . .
We don’t need war, we don’t need empire
Let’s let the dove replace the vampire. . .

by Bonnie Lockhart (original and rewrite)
Download printable version (created 4/18/17)

We've made some progress, won some fights,
but I still ain't satisfied
Until we all have equal rights, I still ain't satisfied
We march today, our numbers rising
Let's keep it up; keep organizing!
And I still ain't, woa, they lied (x3) And I still ain't satisfied.

They say it's a democracy, but I still ain't satisfied
'Cause look at our economy, I still. . .
It's not the party of the hour
It's the Wall Street gang that's got the power

We're working hard to fight cut backs, but I still. . . .
Until Wells Fargo pays their tax, and I still. . .
If we raise the tax on the very wealthy
Our safety net would still be healthy. . .

Abortion still is legal here, but I. . .
'Cause that might not be true next year, and I . . .
I'm singin' about control of my own womb
And nothing less is gonna change my tune. . .

They say the Iraq war is done, but I still. . .
'Cause they're rattling sabers at Iran, and I still. . .
We don't want war, we don't need empire
Let's let the dove replace the vampire. . .

Tune with original words

by Paul McKenna and Jeffrey Vogel © 2021
Tune: “Stop In The Name of Love” by The Supremes
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

Stop in the name of Earth, dear planet of our birth,
Think it o-o-ver, think it o-o-ver.
Global warming is a threat to all the world and all of the human race.
We’ve got to turn to the wind and sun.
The days of oil, coal and gas are done.
We can’t wait any longer, friends.
Our fuel addiction must end.
Hear the Earth cry, “haven’t I been good to you?”
Hear the Earth sigh, “haven’t I been sweet to you?”

Stop in the name of Earth, stop this calamity,
Stop in the name of love, love for humanity.
Think it o-o-ver, think it o-o-ver.

Climate change is increasing every day.
We can’t afford to dither and delay.
We lost four years with the Trump administration.
Now we’re in a desperate situation.
We can’t wish rising seas away.
The time to act is today.
Think it over, what’s the alternative?
Think it over, we’ve got to change how we live.

Stop in the name of life, stop this calamity.
Stop in the name of Earth, there is no Planet B.
Think it o-o-ver, think it o-o-ver.

We’re out of time, time to be patient.
With our fossil fuel infatuation,
And if we don’t get our act together,
The world we live in may be gone forever.

Stop in the name of love, love for humanity,
Stop in the name of life, stop this calamity,
Stop in the name of love, love for humanity,
Stop in the name of Earth, there is no Planet B.
Stop in the name of Earth, dear planet of our birth,
Think it o-o-ver, think it o-o-ver.

by Paul McKenna © 2020
Tune: “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns ‘N’ Roses
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

Up in Alaska by the Bristol Bay,
Where the salmon spawn and the caribou play,
There’s a special place like nothin’ else on the globe,
But an evil corporation has a plan in mind
To dig a giant open-pit copper mine,
And it’s up to all of us to rise up and to tell them no.

Stop that Pebble Mine!
Block that Pebble Mine!

The Pebble Mine will destroy this place,
Dumpin’ ten billion tons of their toxic waste
Into the pristine waters that are home to the salmon runs.
It’ll poison the rivers and the fisheries,
And devastate indigenous communities,
So the time has come for all of us to join as one.

To stop that Pebble Mine!
Block that Pebble Mine!
Stop that Pebble Mine!
Block that Pebble Mine!

We gotta say no now, we gotta say no now, we gotta say no now. No! No!
We gotta say no now, we gotta say no now, we gotta say no now. No! No!
We gotta say no now, we gotta say no now, we gotta say no now. No! No!
We gotta say no now, we gotta say no now, we gotta say no now. No! No!

Stop that Pebble Mine! We got to stop it! We got to stop it!
Block that Pebble Mine! We got to block it! We got to block it!
Stop that Pebble Mine! We got to stop it! We got to stop it!
Block that Pebble Mine! We got to block it! We got to block it!
Stop that Pebble Mine!

(Yellow Rose of Texas) words by Bonnie Lockhart and Nancy Schimmel
Download printable version (revised 1/19/12) 

Valero Oil of Texas
Is not the oil for me
They want to pump the tar sands
To their refinery
But pumping gunk from Canada
To the Gulf of Mexico
Is a pipeline to disaster
So to Keystone we say “No!”

Valero Oil of Texas
You lobby for the pipe
You talk about employment
But we know that’s just hype.
We’d rather create good jobs
And a strong economy:
Stop subsidizing oil
And fund cleaner energy

Valero Oil of Texas
It’s time to get a clue
Your oil thing is over,
Quit belching CO2
That oil is just too yucky
And the pipeline risk too high
Leave the tar sands in Alberta
And kiss fossil fuel goodbye

(Take Me Out to the Ball Game)
Betsy Rose 2011   Download printable version (revised 5/17/12) • see video

Take me out of the big banks
Take me out of their game
The credit union can have my dough
I'll cut up my credit cards, pay as I go
And it's root root root for the small banks
Give them our business and thanks
And it's 1, 2, 3 million more and we'll close big banks

Let's go occupy Wall Street
In every city and town
We'll occupy houses the banks foreclosed
Make sure that no one's left out in the cold
And it's root root root for the new world
We're building right here today
And its 1, 2, 3 billion more! It's a new ball game.

(Sing twice)

(Take Me Out to the Ball Game)
Betsy Rose and Nancy Schimmel        
Download printable version

Take me out of the big banks
Take me out of their game
The credit union can have my dough
I'll cut up my credit cards, pay as I go
And it's root root root for the small banks
Give them our business and thanks
And it's 1, 2, 3 million more and we'll close big banks

Take me out of the big banks
Citibank for a start
They put our money in pipes for oil
That leak in the water and poison the soil and its
Root, root root for the people
Standing up to their claim,
And it's 1, 2, 3, put them out
It's a new ball game!

(Blowin' in the Wind by Bob Dylan)
new words by Bonnie Lockhart Download printable version (created 2/29/12)

How many billions must some people have,
before they will pay a fair tax?
Yes, and how many teachers were laid off this year
in ever-increasing cutbacks?
Yes, and how many pensions will public servants lose,
in well-funded corporate attacks?

The answer is fair, it's tax the millionaire
The answer is tax the millionaire

How many mansions must one man have,
before he's required to share?
Yes, and how many people are homeless tonight,
as shelters go broke everywhere?
Yes, and how many times will the CEO brag,
it's his right to remain a billionaire?
The answer is fair, it's tax the millionaire
The answer is tax the millionaire

How many lawyers will Chase Bank employ,
to make sure their tax is deferred?
Yes, and how many books will the B of A cook,
so their tax-free condition's assured?
Yes, and how many loopholes will Wells Fargo find,
while their profits from jails are absurd?

The answer is fair, it's tax the millionaire
The answer is tax the millionaire

by Paul McKenna © 2015
Tune: Come As You Are” by Nirvana
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

Young Michael Brown took a walk through the streets of Ferguson
When along comes a cop and orders him to stand down.
He pulls his gun, Michael runs and as he’s trying to flee,
Brown turns back, the cop reacts and it ends in tragedy
A tragedy, a tragedy. a tragedy.
For in truth, he did not have a gun, he did not have a gun,
He did not have gin, he did not have a gun.

Time and again unarmed men are shot down by police
After they have been made to pull over or to cease,
For no cause in the laws but being black in this country,
Words are passed, pistols blast and it ends in tragedy,
A tragedy, a tragedy, a tragedy,
And each time they did not have a gun, they did not have a gun,
They did not have a gun, they did not have a gun.

Kendrec McDade, Oscar Grant, Eric Garner and Sean Bell,
Freddie Gray, Eula Love, Johnny Crawford as well,
Amadour Diallo, the list goes on endlessly,
Every one, a black mother’s son, and a senseless tragedy,
A tragedy, a tragedy. a tragedy,
For each one of them did not have a gun,
They did not have a gun, they did not have a gun.
They did not have a gun, they did not have a gun..

Download printable PDF

This affects each one of us...
Black and white together...
Silence will not save us...
Make it safe for everyone...
No more mass
incarceration...
Free Marissa Alexander...

Download printable version (created 4/26/17)

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine (2x)
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!
 
We believe in science…
Wind & solar power…
Open up his tax returns…
E | =MC2…
Standing up for science…
Clean | tech is good for all;
Climate change can't be denied…
Mother earth sustains us all…
Regulation protects all…

Bob Dylan        Download printable version (revised 1/18/12)

Come gather 'round people, wherever you roam
And admit that the waters around you have grown
And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who that it's namin'
For the loser now will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls, For the times. . .

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand, For the times . . .


The line it is drawn; the curse it is cast
The slow one now will later be fast
As the present now  will later be past
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now will later be last,  For the times . . .

Woody Guthrie with additional verses by Hali Hammer and Leslie Hassberg       Download printable version (revised 5/20/12)

This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.

As I was walking that ribbon of highway,
I saw above me that endless skyway:
I saw below me that golden valley:
This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
And all around me a voice was sounding:
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
this land was made for you and me.

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said "No Trespassing."
But on the other side it didn't say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.

In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office - I seen my people
As they stood there hungry, I stood there wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me.

Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you & me

Is this still your land? Is this still my land?
From the Gulf disaster to 3 Mile Island,
From clear cut forests to deep pit mining,
Is this land still made for you and me? (Leslie Hassberg)

Esta tierra es tuya, esta tierra es mía
Desde California hasta Nueva York;
Desde los bosques, hasta los mares (maaaares)
Esta tierra es tuya y mía también.

We join together across this nation,
Stand side by side for our Occupations,
To tax the rich and the corporations
So we can sustain democracy. (Hali Hammer)

To keep the air clean & the rivers flowing
And the redwoods standing, & the planet going
So all the children can grow up knowing
That this land's still made for you & me! (Hali Hammer)

Download printable version (revised 1/17/12)

Esta es tu tierra, esta es mi tierra
desde California hasta Nueva York.
Desde los bosques, hasta llos mares
esta tierra es tuya y mia tambien.

Cuando andaba por los caminos
vi alla en lo alto un cielo immenso
y mas abajo un valle extenso
esta tierra es tuya y mia tambien

Esta es tu tierra....

Por los caminos vi un letrero
que me decia: Aqui no pasas!
pero del otro lado, nada decia
Ese lado es tuyo y mio tambien...

Esta es tu tierra...

New words: Ted Warmbrand (sung at Occupy Tucson)
Download printable version (revised 1/17/12) 

Are you wondering with fear what the hell has gone on here
In this land we say was made for you and me?
Are we free and are we brave? Will we live life as a slave?
Do you ask yourself what will the future be?

Come, friends, here's an occupation,
We have work for you to do
When some corporations rob you of home & health & job
Then a public park's a place for me and you

Look around you, gals and gents, are we all the one percent
Or are we more the many, not the few?
If our vision it is clear and we draw each other near
The world will separate the false from true

Welcome, join our occupation
Why just sit alone and stew?
Since we bailed the bankers out, we can't lie about & pout
If we don't stand up they'll never get a clue

When the war is one of class, peer into your looking glass
Do you see a worker or a CEO?
If you see someone like me, no dough growing on your tree
You might want to let your fighting spirit grow

We have found our occupation
Some old dream is born anew
Let them glare and let them glower
But we're building people power
We're a spark to light the dark, we're overdue!

Original "Rockin' Robin by Bobby Day, new words by Hali Hammer
Download printable version (created 3/15/17) 

Tweedely, tweedley-dee..tweedely, deedely-deedely..
Tweedely, tweedley-dee..tweedely, deedely-deedely..
Tweedely, tweedley-dee..tweedely, deedely-deedely..
Tweet, tweet..tweet, tweet.

He rants in the White House all night long,
Stewin' and a spewin' 'bout what's goin' wrong.
His fingers fiddlin' a message indiscreet
His mouth and his brain going tweet, tweet, tweet.

Tweetin' Cheeto..(tweet, tweet, tweet.)
Tweetin' Cheeto (tweet, tweedely-dee.)
Go Tweetin' Cheeto, who knows what you're gonna tweet tonight

Every paranoia, every sick decree,
Every little lie in his posting spree.
Alternative facts, he's so gung-ho
Flapping his mouth, man, he's gonna blow.

Tweetin' Cheeto..(tweet, tweet, tweet.)
Tweetin' Cheeto (tweet, tweedely-dee.)
Go Tweetin' Cheeto, who knows what you're gonna tweet tonight
: http://www.guitaretab.com/b/bobby-day
A crazy little message comes at 3am
Is he sleepwalking 'cause it's quite a gem
He's not very steady, easy to cajole
Makes you wonder who is really in control

What's to come,what unpredictable text?
Who could know what nutty thought is next
How will he leave the White House, what do you think?
In a straight jacket or off to the Clink

Tweetin' Cheeto..(tweet, tweet, tweet.)
Tweetin' Cheeto (tweet, tweedely-dee.)
Go Tweetin' Cheeto, who knows what you're gonna tweet tonight

Tweedely, tweedley-dee..tweedely, deedely-deedely..
Tweedely, tweedley-dee..tweedely, deedely-deedely..

by Paul McKenna © 2020
UNION, UNION (Tune: “My Babe” by Little Walter)
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

Union means strength in unity, union, union.
Union means strength in unity, union, union.
Union means strength in unity, working people in community.
Union means strength in unity, union, union.

Union means solidarity, union, union.
Union means solidarity, union, union.
Union means solidarity, standin’ up, not askin’ for charity.
Union means solidarity, union, union.

Union means job security, union, union.
Union means job security, union, union.
Union means job security, recognition for seniority.
Union means job security, union, union.

Union means a decent livin’, union, union.
Union means a decent livin’, union, union.
Union means a decent livin’. Keep on fightin, never give in.
Union means a decent livin’, union, union.

Union means justice and equity, union, union.
Union means justice and equity, union, union.
Union means justice and equity, respect and dignity.
Union means justice and equity, union, union.

Union means working together, union, union.
Union means working together, union, union.
Union means working together to change this world for the better.
Union means working together, union, union.
Union, union, union, union,
Union, union, union, union.

Tune: Yellow Rose of Texas       
Words: Nancy Schimmel and Bonnie Lockhart
Download printable version

Valero Oil of Texas 
Is not the oil for me,
They want to ship explosive crude
But the people disagree
‘Cause the tank cars are not safe enough
For the North Dakota crude
And if a few tip over,
You know we will be screwed.
 
They plan to send a hundred cars
Each and every day
To their big refinery
In Benicia by the Bay,
This crude makes more pollution
Than we already get
They think they can roll over us
But they ain't seen nothin’ yet.

Valero Oil of Texas 
It’s time to get a clue
That fracked-out oil's a menace
Besides, there’s CO2,
So in every city on the route
And every farm and town
Let's all stand up and holler
“Leave the oil in the ground!”

(Tune: Irene Goodnight, new words by Mary Sue Mead and the folk process)
Download printable version (revised5/17/12) 

CHORUS: Wall Street, Goodbye, goodbye
                   Wall Street Goodbye
                   We've suffered long, we've suffered slow
                   It's time to say goodbye

So many issues out there,
We don't know where to start
But we see one big problem,
Big Business has no heart

The economy is tanking,
Big Business acts surprised
But no one has any money to spend
After they've been downsized

Get money out of politics,
Get the ads out of campaigns
Time to put a lid on Lobbyists,
Time to end the gravy train

Corporations are not people,
They have no right to vote
Time to throw them overboard
Before they sink the boat

The government needs more money,
It spends too much on war
It doesn't have much to show for it,
We're no safer than before

Stop profiting from disaster,
Stop profiting from ill health
The country needs a major change,
It's time to share the wealth

Tune: I've been Working on the Railroad, new words by Jack Lucero Fleck, additional words by Occupella
Download printable version

We are gonna stop the fracking, all the livelong day,
We are gonna stop the fracking in Californ-i-a
Can’t you see the climate changing? Dirty oil your time is done,
Can’t you see the clean solution? Water, wind and sun!

Water wind and sun, water wind and sun,
Water wind and sun, you time has come!
Water wind and sun, water wind and sun,
Dirty oil your time is done!

Someone’s in the backroom with big oil,
Someone’s in the backroom we know---
Someone’s in the backroom with big oil, Sacramento, just say “No!”

And we say
Fee, fie, fracking’s got to go, fee fie, fracking’s got to go-o-o-o
Fee, fie, fracking's got to go, Sacramento, just say “No!”

by Melanie deMore              Download printable PDF

We are sending you light
To heal you, to hold you,
We are sending you light
To hold you in love

lyrics & music by Matthew Swalinkavich (performance name MAKANA)
Download printable version (revised 5/23/12)      video

Ye come here & gather here 'round the stage
The time has come for us to voice our rage
Against the ones who've trapped us in a cage
To steal from us the value of our wage
From underneath the vestiture of law
The lobbyists at Washington do gnaw
At liberty, the bureaucrats guffaw
And until they are purged, we won't withdraw

CHORUS
We'll occupy the streets
We'll occupy the courts
We'll occupy the offices of you
'Til you do
The bidding of the many, not the few

Our nation was built upon the right
Of every person to improve their plight
The laws of this republic they rewrite
And now a few own everything in sight
They own it free of liability
They own, but they are not like you and me
Their influence dictates legality
And until they are stopped we are not free ( CHORUS)

You enforce your monopolies with guns
While sacrificing our daughters and sons
But certain things belong to everyone
Your thievery has left the people none
So take heed of our notice to redress
We have little to lose, we must confess
Your empty words do leave us unimpressed
A growing number join us in protest (CHORUS)

You can't divide us into sides
And from our gaze you cannot hide
Denial serves to amplify
And our allegiance you can't buy
Our government is not for sale
The banks do not deserve a bail
We will not reward those who fail
We will not move 'til we prevail
(CHORUS)
… We are the many, you are the few

Download printable PDF

Black lives matter, we shall not be moved...
Michael Brown matters...
Eric Garner matters...
Trayvon Martin matters
We will not be silent...
No more grand juries...
Stand up for the children...
Make police accountable...
Unidos en la lucha,
No nos moveran...
como_un árbol
firme junto al rio, no nos moveran.

Download printable version (created 4/26/17)

We shall not, we shall not be moved (2x)
Just like a tree that's standing by the water
We shall not be moved

No more oil dependence…
We say no to fracking..
Fund | green | jobs…
Subsidize | solar…
Fossil fuel's a dinosaur…
Chevron, pay your taxes…
Permaculture's what we need…
Green power to the people
Fund science research…
Respect our mother earth…
The scientific method…
Standing up for science…
Standing up for Standing Rock…
Protecting our water
Environmental justice …
We need regulations…

Spanish:
No, no, no nos moverán) (2x)
Cómo un árbol firme junto al río,
No nos moverán.

Unidos en la lucha, No nos moverán (2x)
Cómo un árbol firme junto al río,
No nos moverán.

Download printable version (created 4/26/17)

("I Will Survive" - lyrics Peter Jones, additional lyrics Betsy Rose)

At first we were alarmed, we were horrified
Thinking you could never win 'cause you're not qualified
Then we spent so many nights thinking
How this is so wrong
Then we grew strong and we refused to go along
It's up to us, now that we see
You and your hacks just want a world of white supremacy
You would destroy the Constitution,
Make our land a mockery
But we've got everything we need, we've got solidarity

Come on let's go Walk door to door
Into the streets And out on the Senate floor
Weren't you the one who tried to rob us with your lies
Did you think we'd crumble
Did you think we'd lay down and die
Oh no not us We will persist
As along as we know how to love
We know we will resist
We've got all our lives to live
And we got all our love to give,
We will resist We will resist

(We Will Resist, p.2)

So now we know you're just a bully Bonaparte
Making fun of other people
With their broken hearts
You've spent oh so many years
Thinking only of yourself
You cheat and lie
But we can hold our heads up high
With dignity We are renewed
We are not acquiescent people
We shall not be moved
So we're digging in
We're fighting to be free
We're mobilizing With our solidarity

Come on let's go, Walk door to door
Into the streets And out on the Senate floor
Weren't you the one who tried to rob us with your lies
Did you think we'd crumble
Did you think we'd lay down and die
Oh no not us We will persist
As along as we know how to love
We know we will resist
We've got all our lives to live
And we got all our love to give,
We will resist We will resist, We Will Resist!

by Bernice Johnson Reagon     
Download printable version (revised 7/14/19)

We who believe in freedom cannot rest,
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes

Until the killing of Black men, black mothers’ sons,
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers’ sons.

That which touches me most is the chance to work with people,
Passing on to others, that which was passed on to me.

To me young people come first,
They have the courage where we fail,
And if I can shed some light as they carry us through the gale

The older I get, the better I know that the secret of my going on,
Is when the reins are in the hands of the young who dare
To run against the storm.

Not needing to clutch for power,
Not needing the light just to shine on me!
I need to be just one in the number as we stand against tyranny

I'm a woman who speaks in a voice
And I must be heard
At times I can be quite difficult, I’ll bow to no man's word

Download printable version (created 4/26/17)

(She'll be Coming Round the Mountain)

We'll be ending oil dependence when we come…
We'll be standing up for science…
We'll be saying "No" to fracking…
We'll be subsidizing solar…
We'll be funding green | jobs…
We'll be curbing our consumption…
We'll be riding in the bike lanes…
We'll be challenging the power…
We'll be making peace on earth…

by Paul McKenna © 2022
(Tune: “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty)
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

No we won't turn back, no we won't turn back.
You can try to take our rights away, but we won't turn back.
No, we won't turn back.

This is my bo-dy.  It belongs to me,
And I won't give away my autonomy, 
So accept this fact, we will not turn back.

CHORUS:  Hey Clarence, Brett, Neil, Amy and Sam,
                   We will 
                   Not turn back, no we won't turn back.

It is not your role to exert control
Over how I choose to conduct my life,
So accept this fact.
We will not turn back.
No we won't turn back.  CHORUS

Download printable version (created 4/26/17)

(She'll be Coming Round the Mountain)

We'll be ending oil dependence when we come…
We'll be standing up for science…
We'll be saying "No" to fracking…
We'll be subsidizing solar…
We'll be funding green | jobs…
We'll be curbing our consumption…
We'll be riding in the bike lanes…
We'll be challenging the power…
We'll be making peace on earth…

Stephen Zunes remembered the Exxon Valdez verse from somewhere and Nancy Schimmel wrote the rest.
Download printable version file revision date 7/11/19

What shall we do with a drunken sailor? (3x)
Earlie in the morning?
Make him the skipper of the Exxon Valdez (3x)
Earlie in the morning.

Way up the carbon rises (3x) Earlie in the morning.

What shall we do with the tar sands crude? (3x)
Earlie in the morning?
Put it on a train that runs through Berkeley, (3x)
Earlie in the morning.  

Way up the carbon rises...

What shall we do with the fracking water
Earlie in the morning?
Pump it underground and cause an earthquake
Earlie in the morning.

Way up the carbon rises....

What shall we do with the toxic coal ash?
Earlie in the morning?
Dam it up and spill it in the river
Earlie in the morning.

Way up the carbon rises...

What shall we do with the carbon profits
Earlie in the morning?
Buy a yacht and a politician
Earlie in the morning.

Way up the carbon rises...

Download printable PDF

When we rise up and change our world (2x)
Oh how I want to be in that number
When we rise up and change our world
Oh when we march for human rights (2x)
Oh how I want to be in that number
When we rise up and change our world.
When we make peace instead of war...
When young black men can walk the streets...
When women walk out safe at night...
When we build schools instead of jails...
When neighborhoods are free from fear...

Download printable version (created 4/26/17)

(When the Saints Go Marching In)

When we rise up and change the world,When we rise up and change the world,
Oh, how I want to be in that number
When we rise up and change the world.

Oh, when there's facts instead of lies..
When climate change is not denied….
When fossil fuels stays in the ground….
When solar power replaces coal…..
When wind and sun are all we need…
When we restore the EPA….
When unions work with clean green tech….
When we protect Planned Parenthood…
When we choose love instead of hate…

Florence Reece        Download printable version (revised 7/14/19)

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

Come all you good people, good news to you I'll tell
How the Miner's Union has come in here to dwell

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

They say in Harlan County there are no neutrals there
You're either for the union or a thug for J.H. Blair

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

Don't scab for the bosses, don't listen to their lies
People haven't got a chance unless they organize

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

You don't want your husband to die in the coal mine
I'll see you in the morning out on the picket line

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

By Florence Reese, new lyrics by Monique Doryland, Leslie Hassberg, Betsy Rose, Susan Berger
Download printable version (created 4/6/18) 

Kids are gunned down in their schools
And we are horrified,
Now all their friends are rising up; We're standing by their side. 
 
We need to change the gun laws,
And change our culture, too,
When violence is glorified,
You know what some will do.
 
It started when we stole this land,
With guns and genocide,
While our New Jim Crow system
Keeps violence alive.
 
The folks who make and sell the guns,
Their profits are obscene,
They buy our politicians  and
Promote their terror scheme.
 
The NRA is powerful and
Fox News spreads their lies,
We're calling out their hate and greed,
It's time to organize!

(tune: Charlie & the MTA)   Download printable version (revised 5/6/17)

Let me tell you all the story of the K Street lobbies,
And the super rich whose bidding they do,
They have bought | our | Congress and control of elections,
Keep it secret from the public, too.  
 
Will they ever be taxed? No, they'll never be taxed!
And they're stealing | the wealth we need,
I'll believe corporations are the same as people
If I ever see one cry or bleed.
 
Now there's lots we could do, building railroads and bridges,
And repairing our run-down schools.
But the 1% would rather play their games | on Wall Street,
And get rid of all financial rules.
 
Will they ever be taxed? No, they'll never be taxed!
They keep cutting programs more and more,
They'll defund | our health care and rob old age pensions,
Our security is out | the door.

Donald Trump | says | he will never show his taxes,
We should trust that they're AOK,
But we know that he's got tons and tons of conflicts of interest,
We know what| is gonna hold sway!

Will he ever come clean, no, he'll never come clean,
'Cause his foreign | investments are prime,
His friends are banks and mobsters who are stealing from the poorest,
Money laundering is international crime.

But will they ever be taxed? Yes, they must be taxed!
And we've got to make them spend it for our needs,
No more walls or prisons, bombs or tar sand pipelines,
Keep the pressure til the 1% concedes!

Jimmy Cliff       Download printable version (revised 1/19/12)

You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
You can get it if you really want
But you must try, try and try
Try and try
You'll succeed at last

Persecution you must bear
Win or lose you got to get your share
Got your mind set on a dream
You can get it, tho hard it may seem

You can get it if you really want…

Rome was not built in a day
Opposition will come your way
But the harder the battle you see
It's the sweeter the victory

You can get it if you really want…

by Paul McKenna © 2018
(Song of the greedy hospital administrator)
Tune: “Annie’s Song” by John Denver
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

You fill up my census with lucrative patients,
You''re truly an asset to my bottom line--
Lung and liver transplants, hip and knee replacements.
You fill up my census, now where do I sign?

Come let me pay you, let me write big checks to you,
For expensive procedures and unneeded care,
With exorbitant prices--you're the cure to our crisis,
Come let me pay you, there's plenty to spare.

You fill up my census with lucrative patients, 
For expensive procedures and unneeded care,
With exorbitant prices--you're the cure to our crisis,
You fill up my census, now come grab your share.

by Paul McKenna © 2014
Tune: “My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It” by Hank Williams
Download printable version (created 6/9/22)

Your story’s got a hole in it, yeah, your story’s got a hole in it,
Your story’s got a hole in it, it won’t hold no beer.

You’re tellin’ us a sad tale, how you can’t afford a raise.
You’re tryin’ to say your workers should take a cut in pay.

But your story’s got a hole in it, yeah your story’s got a hole in it,
Your story’s got a hole in it, it won’t hold no beer.

You say you’re goin’ broke and the money just ain’t there,
And you really can’t afford to treat your workers fair.

But your story’s got a hole in it, yeah your story’s got a hole in it,
Your story’s got a hole in it, it won’t hold no beer.

You got two administrators for every employee
And you’re smack in the middle of a building spree.

That’s why your story’s got a hole in it, yeah your story’s got a hole in it,
Your story’s got a hole in it, it won’t hold no beer.

You seem to think your workers were born yesterday
And that we’re gonna fall for everything you say.

But your story’s got a hole in it, yeah your story’s got a hole in it,
Your story’s got a hole in it, it won’t hold no beer.

Your story’s got a hole in it, yeah, your story’s got a hole in it,
Your story’s got a hole in it, it won’t hold no beer.