Union Songs
The Finest
A song by Jack Warshaw©Jack Warshaw 1985
Chorus:
Here’s to the finest of the union
A year on strike they stood up proud and tall
Here’s to those who fought and died
Men and women side by side
And the little ones who cried through it allFrom Scotland to the Rhondda, from Derby down to Kent
Two hundred thousand listened to the call
Not just for themselves or their families they struck
They knew they were fighting for us allChorus
The Fleet Street bosses all lined up behind the Tory lies
The television hacks they did the same
All across the nation, they spelt their fabrications
But still the miners would not play their gameChorus
Around the world the call went to the unions
The miners of Britain need a friend
They gave their money free, while back home the TUC
Was too scared to stand up with them in the endChorus
Now in the House of Commons they shout and ramble on
Till you can’t tell left or centre from the right
Of violence they bleat while their National Police
Smash the faces of the pickets day and nightSo raise up the banner of the union
March behind it to the pithead once again
You know that you can face it for you never did disgrace it
And it stands for the glory you have gainedFinal chorus
Notes
Many thanks to Jack Warshaw for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection
Jack wrote this song during the British miners' strike of 1984-1985
See also UK miners' strike (1984–1985) in Wikipedia
See more of Jack Warshaw's work in this collection.
union songs..........a selection by mark gregory