Union Songs

The Preacher and the Slave

A Song by Joe Hill

Long-haired preachers come out every night
Try to tell you what's wrong and what's right
But when asked how 'bout something to eat
They will answer with voices so sweet

Chorus

You will eat, bye and bye
In that glorious land above the sky
Work and Pray, live on hay
You'll get pie in the sky when you die

And the starvation army they play
And they sing and they clap and they pray
Till they get all your coin on the drum
Then they tell you when you are on the bum

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

Workingmen of all countries unite
Side by side we for freedom will fight
When the world and its wealth we have gained
To the grafters we'll sing this refrain

Last Chorus

You will eat, bye and bye
When you've learned how to cook and to fry
Chop some wood, 'twill do you good
And you'll eat in the sweet bye and bye

Notes

From the IWW Songbook 1911 Edition Tune "In the Sweet Bye and Bye"
Many thanks to Bill Berry for permission to add this track from his 2004 CD "Bill Berry sweep of an eager pen" to the Union Songs collection.

Return to top of page

union songs..........a selection by mark gregory