Union Songs

How About You?

(Cant You See This System's Rotten Through And Through)
A song by Jim Garland

How well do I remember how class struggle brought me through
When I came out on strike in 1932
They brought their thugs against us the State Militia too
And kicked us in the gutter that's me and you

Chorus
How about you? How about you?
Can't you see this system's rotten through and through?
It brings millions to the bosses to the capitalistic few
And exploits the toiling workers like me and you

We'll build a brand new system that's one thing that is true
The boss will have to work just like me and you
We'll all have homes to live in and a job to work at too
And there'll be no one to rob us that's me and you

Notes

Jim Garland was an organiser for the miners in Kentucky in the 1930's.
He came from a songwriting family, his two sisters being the famous Ausnt Molly Jackson and Sarah Ogan Gunning. Jim wrote a number of songs including I Dont Want Your Millions Mister.

I first got the song from Peggy Seeger when I was researching music for Cinema Action in London in the early 1970's. My memory of the tune was somewhat hazy and evolved, with the help of a banjo, into what's presented here. The words are much closer to the original! I recorded the song on the "Union Is Strength" CD in 1996.



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