Parodies & Lyrics Updates
(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!
(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.
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
(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.
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. . .
Tune: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
by Meredith Wilson, New words: Nancy Schimmel
Download printable version (created 5/27/19)
He's beginning to sound a lot like Hitler
Everywhere he goes
He threatens us with the cops, and soldiers from special ops,
And biker guys to bop us on the nose
He's beginning to sound a lot like Hitler
That's his bedside book
Though his scapegoats are not the same he plays a fascist game
Plus he's such a crook,
Some sort of Reichstag fire and a lot of barbed wire
Is the wish of Jared and Pence
And Sean Hannity adds insanity
And the army adds expense
When the tax cuts break for the rich guys' sake, then it all makes sense
He's beginning to sound a lot like Hitler
Every time he tweets
He thinks that he wears a crown, you know we can bring him down,
If he won't resign he'll find us in the streets
(from Trad. Keep Your Hand on the Plow)
Download printable version (revised 1/20/12)
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 God’s love has seen us through/Keep…
Got my hand on the freedom plow
Wouldn’t take nothin’ for my journey now/Keep…
(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.
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.
(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.
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
(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.
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
Words: Ray Glazer, Music: Bill Wolff, new verses: Leslie Hassberg
Download printable version (reivsed 4/6/18) 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
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?
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
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. . .
(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)
(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
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!
(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
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!
