Which Side Are You On?
Rebel Diaz
Which Side Are You On?
Dropkick Murphys
Which Side Are You On?
Natalie Merchant
Which Side Are You On?
Billy Bragg
Which Side Are You On?
Pete Seeger
Which Side Are You on?
Florence Reese
(“an American social activist, poet, and folksong writer. Born in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee the daughter and wife of coal miners, she is best known for the song, “Which Side Are You On?“ written in 1931 during a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in which her husband, Sam Reece, was an organizer.”)
Come all of you good workers,
Good news to you I’ll tell,
Of how that good old union
Has come in here to dwell.
cho: Which side are you on?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on?
My daddy was a miner,
And I’m a miner’s son,
And I’ll stick with the union,
Till every battle’s won.
They say in Harlan County,
There are no neutrals there.
You’ll either be a union man,
Or a thug for J.H. Blair.
Oh, workers can you stand it?
Oh, tell me how you can.
Will you be a lousy scab,
Or will you be a man ?
Don’t scab for the bosses,
Don’t listen to their lies.
Us poor folks haven’t got a chance,
Unless we organize.
January 20, 2010 at 5:23 am
[...] was “Which Side Are You On?” from the 1930s out of the coalfields of Harlan County, [...]
October 30, 2010 at 4:18 am
Are you sure these are the Florence Reese lyrics to the song? It reads more like Seeger’s adaptation.
Her version reads,
“My daddy was a miner he’s now in the air and sun, he’ll be with you fellow workers til every battle’s won.”
“You go to Harlan County, there are no neutrals there…”
The last verse is Seeger’s addition, I believe. But don’t get me wrong, I still like Seeger’s adaptation to the song.
March 15, 2011 at 6:40 am
Florence’s actual version (with two additional verses and “gun thug”, not “lousy scab”) can be heard on YouTube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nzudto-FA5Y :
Come all you poor workers, good news to you I’ll tell,
How the good old union has come in here to dwell.
Which side are you on, which side are you on?
We’re starting our good battle, we know we’re sure to win.
Because we got the gun thugs lookin’ pretty thin.
Which side are you on, which side are you on?
You go to Harlan County, there is no neutral there.
You’ll either be a union man or a thug for J.H. Blair
Which side are you on, which side are you on?
They say they have to guard us to educate their child.
Their children live in luxury, our children almost wild.
Which side are you on, which side are you on?
Gentlemen can you stand it, oh tell me how you can?
Will you be a gun thug or will you be a man>
Which side are you on, which side are you on?
My daddy was a miner, he’s now in the air and sun.
he be with you, fellow workers, till every battle’s won.
Which side are you on, which side are you on?
November 4, 2011 at 3:38 am
Here’s a version we came up with for Occupy Movement:
NINETY-NINE TO ONE
Words and music by Florence Reece and Rivka and Mike iLL Kilmer
Chords: D- D-/C G- Eb7
Desperation at your door
With a notice in his bag
But you still think he only comes
For those who’s feet will drag
Communities cooperate
For the betterment of all
Some insist they’re better fit
To dictate to the small.
[Chorus:]
Ninety-nine to one
Ninety-nine to one
Think this game is over?
It’s only just begun.
From early morning ’till the sun gets low
Work for a man that you’ll never even know
Defend his wealth and right to grow
With the memorized words from his radio show.
When your job goes south and it won’t come back
Blame it on the Mexicans who live across the tracks
Faced with pure and simple math
Claim “Socialism” and threaten to attack
You sit alone home judging me
Getting’ your news on Fox TV
But come down town you just might see
On so many issues we agree
Come on all good working people and
Hear what I just learned
The system’s got us all in debt
Makin’ up what can’t be earned
Is this the Land of Liberty
Or one big company property
We’ve come together in unity
To take back our democracy
Wealth, like butter, is best when spread
But you’ll rail against it ’till you’re almost dead
With a closet full of pills and stale white bread
Your kids don’t visit ’cause they’re working’ instead
That white House seats have been reduced
For the highest bidder is the sorry truth
If it keeps this way we’ll get our proof
When there’s credit cards slots on the voting booths