Union Songs
The Anti-Fouling Roll
A poem by Merv Lilley©1967 Merv Lilley
Music by Bill Berry- [play]
Some men are pink or yellow
And some are black as coal
The rich man has the money
And the poor man has the soulChorus
Keep rolling anti-fouling,
Anti-fouling roll,
Keep rolling anti-fouling
Anti-fouling roll.Some men are anti others,
And anti this and that,
But I am anti rich man
From my feet up to my hat.I go to work each morning
And working is my goal,
Rich man pays me money
And wants to buy my soul.I am a painting docker,
I paint the poor man's goal,
To stop the rich man's fouling
From entering his soul.Last chorus:
Keep rolling anti-fouling,
The anti-fouling roll,
Keep rolling anti-fouling
In the dockyards of my soul,
In the dockyards of my soul,
In the dockyards of my soul.
Notes
Many thanks to Merv Lilley for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection. It was published in Australian Tradition in September 1967 with the note:
"This song took first prize in the competition for a song about the Sydney Branch of the Waterside Workers' Federation".Many thanks to Bill Berry and Tom Flood for their recording of the song that was part of the MUA centenary CD "With These Arms".
union songs..........a selection by mark gregory