Or a thug for J.H. Choose … Reece had been warned in advance and escaped but his wife, Florence, and their children were terrorized. This is the version of the song as it appears in the 36th Edition of the IWW's Little Red Song Book. Which side are you on? [3], Florence Reece singing "Which Side Are You On? Lyrics: Come, all you good workers / Good news to you I'll tell / Of how the good old union / Has come in here to dwell / Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on? Florence Reece (née Patton; b. April 12, 1900, d. August 3, 1986) was an American social activist, poet, and folksong writer. "Which Side Are You On?" (Florence Reece) From the album The House Carpenter’s Daughter. That night, after the men had gone, Florence wrote the lyrics to "Which Side Are You On?" My daddy was a miner turkish. LYRICS ; SHOP ; CONTACT ; Which Side Are You On? Don't listen to their lies Which Side are you on Wall Street Florence Reece / All credit to earlier poster. We don't have this lyrics yet, you can help us by submit it After Submit Lyrics, Your name will be printed as part of the credit when your lyric is approved. In an attempt to intimidate the family of union leader Sam Reece, Sheriff J. H. Blair and his men, hired by the mining company, illegally entered their home in search of Reece. Which side? Will you be a lousy scab(4) Which side are you on? From the Library of Congress, Research Centers, The American Folklife Center, Finding Aids to Collections in the Archive of Folk Culture, Tennessee Collections, compiled by Christopher DeWitt, Madeline Esposito, Dave Lewis, and Michael Pahn. Which side are you on? Which side are you on? She is best known for the song "Which Side Are You On?" Stormking Music, 1933. Which side are you on? CHORUS: Which side are you on? : The Folk Song Magazine, Vol. Song: Which Side Are You On Which side are you on, boys? Which side are you on? Born in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, the daughter and wife of coal miners, she is best known for the song "Which Side Are You On?". Don't scab for the bosses Florence Reece (1900–1986) was an American social activist, poet, and folksong writer. If you go to Harlan County, there is no neutral there. Which side are you on? "Against the Current: poems and stories" by Florence Reece, privately printed by Florence Reece, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1981. Review of "Against the Current" (Florence Reece, 1981) by Loyal Jones, Appalachian Journal, Vol. on … 1 Translation available. (CHORUS). Lyrics for Which Side Are You On by Pete Seeger. Genre: Lyrics: Come all of you good workers / Good news to you I'll tell / Of how the good ol' union / Has come in here to dwell / Which side are you on? Which side are you on, boys? You'll either be a union man Or a thug for J. H. Claire Which side are you on boys? which she originally wrote at the age of twelve while her father was out on strike with other coal miners, according to The American Folk Song Book by Alan Lomax. Which side are you on? Don't scab for the bosses Don't listen to their lies Poor folks ain't got a chance Unless they organise Which side are you on boys? Which side are you on? Till every battle's won, They say in Harlan County(2) And I'm a miner's son My dady was a miner, And I'm a miner's son, He'll be with you fellow workers Until this battle's won. Which side are you on? **Photograph: A crowd of miners confronting soldiers – Harlan County, Kentucky 1939 . After a lifetime of speaking on behalf of unions and social welfare issues, Florence Reece died of a heart attack in 1986 at the age of 86 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Oh, workers can you stand it? Here are some newer freedom verses (drawn from James Farmer of CORE, Len Chandler, Annie Patterson & Peter Blood): Will you be a lousy scab Or will you be a man? Which side are you on boys? Reply #13 on: 06 Apr, 2007, 01:35:54 Θέλεις να πεις ότι δεν έχεις το Tubthumping, γιάννη ζέφυρε; Αυτός είναι λόγος διαγραφής από τον σύλλογο! After her home was raided by local police in search of her husband, a union organizer. written in 1931 during a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in which her husband, Sam Reece, was an organizer. Lyrics: Florence Patton Reece(1) Oh tell me how you can Will you be a lousy scab Or will you be a man? Which side are you on boys? Which side are you on? In an attempt to intimidate the family of union leader Sam Reece, Sheriff J. H. Blair and his men, hired by the mining company, illegally entered their home in search of Reece. Free printable and easy chords for song by Florence Reece - Which Side Are You On. Which Side Are You On? Which Side Are You On? In 1931, during the Harlan County strike by the United Mine Workers of America and the National Miners Union, in which her husband was an organizer, Reece updated her song to the version known today. Which side are you on? Blair Which side are you on? Oh tell me how you can Will you be a lousy scab Or will you be a man? Which side are you on? Chords ratings, diagrams and lyrics. Blair(3) Come all you good workers, good news to you. My daddy was a miner And I'm a miner's son And I'll stick with the union Till every battle's won . The following year, it was recorded by the Almanac Singers in a version that gained a wide audience. An Interview With Florence Reece" by Ron Stanford, Sing Out! Which Side Are You On? [2], Reece appeared in the Academy Award-winning documentary film Harlan County, USA, singing her anthem to rally the striking miners. LyricsWhich Side Are You On Pete Seeger. Which side are you on? As an adult, Reece was an American social activist, poet, and folksong writer. Oh workers can you stand it? / Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Born in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee the daughter and wife of coal miners, she is best known for the song, "Which Side Are You On?" Which side are you on? / My daddy was a miner / He's now in the air and sun / He'll be with you … Year: 1931 “Which Side Are You On?” was made popular by the likes of Pete Seeger, but many don’t know that it’s origin is found in a kitchen in Harlan County, KY. Interview with Florence Reece in Kathy Kahn, "Which Side Are You On?" Oh tell me how you can Will you be a lousy scab Or will you be a man? by THE ALMANAC SINGERS: Come, all you good workers / Good news to you I'll tell / Of how the good old union / Has come in here to dwell / Which side are you on, boys? More recently, Billy Bragg, Dropkick Murphys, Rebel Diaz, Natalie Merchant, Ani DiFranco, and Tom Morello each recorded their own interpretations of the song. It's hard to explain to a crying child Why her Daddy can't go back So the family suffer But it hurts me more To hear a scab say Sod you, Jack Which side are you on, boys? on a calendar that hung in their kitchen. Which side are you on boys? 1, Fall 1984, pages 68–72, This page was last edited on 28 July 2020, at 20:49. Which side are you on? 12, No. Born in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee, the daughter and wife of coal miners, she is best known for the song "Which Side Are You On?". / Which side are you on? Opens in a new window. Which Side Are You On Lyrics. / Intoduction / [Verse 1] Bmi Emi F#mi Bmi Come all of you good workers, good news to you … The title track of singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco's seventeenth album is a revised version of a 1931 Florence Reece song, which was later popularized by Pete Seeger. Which side are you on? Listen to Which Side Are You on? Which side are you on boys? There are no neutrals there You'll either be a union man The song used in the video is “Which Side Are You On?” It was written by Florence Reece (1900–1986) at the age of 12. Which side are you on? Which side are you on boys? Which Side Are You On? Has come in here to dwell. Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Reece had been warned in advance and escaped but his wife, Florence, and their children were terrorized. Which side are you on, boys? And I'll stick with the union Of how that good old union ", Florence and Sam Reece were married for 64 years until his death from pneumoconiosis (black lung) in 1978. Written by:Florence Reece; Last update on: October 11, 2020. It's hard to explain to a crying child Why her Daddy can't go back So the family suffer but it hurts me more To hear a scab say, "Sod you, Jack" Which side are you on, boys? Good news to you I'll tell DiFranco transforms it from a labor protest tune to a leftist anthem over marital drums. Which side are you on? You’ll either be a union man or a thug for JH Blair. A Song by Florence Patton Reece 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 . She took the melody from a traditional Baptist hymn, "Lay the Lily Low", or the traditional ballad "Jack Munro". Oh tell me how you can? in 1931 during an especially violent strike. Oh, tell me how you can Will you be a lousy scab Or will you be a man? Which side are you on? Oh tell me how you can? Share on … Which side are you on? The "Bloody Harlan" Years in Kentucky and J. H. Blair. Which Side Are You On, song lyrics. She was portrayed by Emily Bachynski in the second episode of the television show Damnation performing "Which Side Are You On? Which side are you on? Lyrics to "Which Side Are You On?" My dady was a miner, And I'm a miner's son, He'll be with you fellow workers Until this 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. Claire. Pete Seeger, collecting labor union songs, learned "Which Side Are You On" in 1940. Which side are you on? An old protest folk song, words by Florence Reece, sung to the tune of Lay the Lily Low. You'll either be a union man Or a thug for J. H. Blair. About the Author: Florence Reece (1900–1986), the wife of a coal miner and organizer for the National Miner's Union in Harlan County, Kentucky, wrote "Which Side Are You On?" By: Florence Reece Date: 1931 Source: Reece, Florence. Which side are you on, boys Which side are you on? Re: Florence Reece, Which side are you on? / Which side are you on? AFS 14,588-14,589 Ron Stanford / Florence and Sam Reece Recording Project, "Two 10-inch tapes of an interview of Florence and Sam Reece, with songs by Florence Reece. Which side are you on? Chorus Which side are you on? Song: Which Side Are You On Lyrics: Florence Patton Reece (1) Music: Year: 1931 Genre: Country: USA 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 CHORUS: Which side are you on? Which side are you on boys? by Florence Reece & The Almanac Singers, 56 Shazams. Which side are you on? you'll either be a union man or a thug for J.H. Which Side Are You On? Oh workers can you stand it? Sparked by a 1931 miners’ strike, this rallying cry has been adopted and adapted through the decades The Almanac Singers in 1942, from left, Woody Guthrie, Millard Lampell, Bess Hawes, Pete Seeger, Arthur Stern and Sis Cunningham Share on Twitter. My daddy was a miner, he’s now in the air and sun. Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Which side are you on? 20, No. Us poor folks haven't got a chance In 1931, the miners and the mine owners in southeastern Kentucky were locked in a bitter and violent struggle called the Harlan County War. Music: ", "Our old Kentucky home: mine strikes and commie songs", https://www.loc.gov/folklife/guides/Tennessee.html, https://www.worldcat.org/title/against-the-current-poems-and-stories/oclc/8004758&referer=brief_results, https://www.jstor.org/stable/40932631?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents, "Which Side Are You On" lyrics, link to MIDI music, Florence Reece in the Civil Rights Digital Library (text and pictures), Reece, Florence (Recovered History, News Items from, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Florence_Reece&oldid=970033455, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, poet, songwriter, labor and civil rights activist. She wrote the song when her father was out on strike at one of the coal mines. Unless we organize, 1 - More information on Florence Patton Reece from the Hawaii ebook Library. Country: USA, Come all of you good workers You'll either be a union man Or a thug for J. H. Claire Which side are you on, boys? Will you be a lousy scab Or will you be a man? Which side are you on? Or will you be a man? Song lyrics. — Florence Reece’s protest song became an anthem for many causes . Reece couldn’t have known that what she created would become the most durable anthem of the labor movement, and a template for protest songs for decades to come. Oh workers can you stand it? He’ll be with you fellow workers until the battle’s won. Easier for me to follow when scrolling on small screen. Recorded in Tennessee by Ron Stanford, June 3–7, 1971" . That night, after the men had gone, Florence wrote the lyrics to "Which Side Are You On?" Will you be a lousy scab Or will you be a man? Sign in Sign up. Oh, tell me how you can Which side are you on boys, which side are you on? Which side are you on? Which side are you on? Top lyrics Community Contribute Business. The song was written by Florence Reece, a wife of a coal miner. Oh workers can you stand it? You can read the story of the circumstances in which Florence Reece composed this song on page 48 of our book If I Had a Hammer: A Pete Seeger Singalong Songbook.. Billy Bragg's reworking of the song is the final song ion page 287 of the "Work" chapter of Rise Again.. According to folklorist Alan Lomax who collected it from her in 1937, she wrote the song in 1912 when her father was out on strike, and then updated it in 1931 during the Harlan County War strike by the United Mine Workers of America and the National Miners Union in which her husband, Sam Reece, was an organizer. Which side are you on? Which side are you on? 3 - The "Bloody Harlan" Years in Kentucky and J. H. Blair, by Jennifer Peters. Oh workers can you stand it? 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