Solidarity Forever

"Solidarity Forever", wurde 1915 von Ralph Chaplin geschrieben. Es wird im Takt von "John Brown's Body" gesungen und wurde von der "Battle Hymn of the Republic" inspiriert. Der Song wurde für die Industrial Workers of the World geschrieben, allerdings wurde er von anderen Gewerkschaften, wie der American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) übernommen. Der Song wurde von vielen Interpreten vertont, zuletzt auch von Utah Phillips und wird immer noch bei verschiedenen Gewerkschaftstreffen in Australien und Kanada gesungen.

Lyrics

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.

Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy parasite,

Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might?

Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight?

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.

All the world that's owned by idle drones is ours and ours alone.

We have laid the wide foundations; built it skyward stone by stone.

It is ours, not to slave in, but to master and to own.

While the union makes us strong.

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.

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.

Modernes

In den 1970ern wurde von einigen Frauen die folgenden Verse gedichtet, um auf deren Gewerkschaftsarbeit aufmerksam zu machen:

We're the women of the union and we sure know how to fight.

We'll fight for women's issues and we'll fight for women's rights.

A woman's work is never done from morning until night.

Women make the union strong!

(Chorus)

It is we who wash dishes, scrub the floors and clean the dirt,

Feed the kids and send them off to school - and then we go to work,

Where we work for half men's wages for a boss who likes to flirt.

But the union makes us strong!

(Chorus)

Eine Variation aus Kanada:

We’re the women of the union in the forefront of the fight,

We fight for women’s issues, we fight for women’s rights,

We’re prepared to fight for freedom, we’re prepared to stand our ground,

Women make the union strong.

(Chorus)

Through our sisters and our brothers, we can make our union strong,

For respect and equal value we have done without too long,

We no longer have to tolerate injustices and wrongs,

For the union makes us strong.

(Chorus)

When racism in all of us is finally out and gone,

Then the union movement will be twice as powerful and strong,

for equality for everyone will move the cause along,

for the union makes us strong.

(Chorus)

Die aktuelle Version des Little Red Songbook beinhaltet diese beiden neuen Verse von Steve Suffet:

They say our day is over; they say our time is through,

They say you need no union if your collar isn't blue,

Well that is just another lie the boss is telling you,

For the Union makes us strong!

(Chorus)

They divide us by our color; they divide us by our tongue,

They divide us men and women,; they divide us old and young,

But they'll tremble at our voices, when they hear these verses sung,

For the Union makes us strong!

(Chorus)