Talking Union — Pete Seeger
Chords and lyrics for Talking Union by Pete Seeger (key of G).
Verse
Now, if you [G]want higher wages let me [C]tell you what to do
You got to [D7]talk to the workers in the [G]shop with you.
You got to build you a union, got to [C]make it strong,
But if you [D7]all stick together, boys, it won't be long.
You get [G]shorter hours, [C]better working conditions,
[D7]Vacations with pay. Take your kids to the [G]seashore.
Verse
It ain't [G]quite this simple, so I [C]better explain
Just why [D7]you got to ride on the [G]union train.
'Cause if you wait for the boss to [C]raise your pay,
We'll all [D7]be a-waitin' 'til Judgment Day.
We'll [G]all be buried, [C]gone to heaven,
St. [D7]Peter'll be the straw boss [G]then.
Verse
Now you [G]know you're underpaid but the [C]boss says you ain't;
He [D7]speeds up the work 'til you're [G]'bout to faint.
You may be down and out, but you [C]ain't beaten,
You can [D7]pass out a leaflet and call a meetin'.
[G]Talk it over, [C]speak your mind,
[D7]Decide to do somethin' [G]about it.
Verse
Course, the [G]boss may persuade some [C]poor damn fool
To [D7]go to your meetin' and [G]act like a stool.
But you can always tell a stool, though, [C]that's a fact,
He's got a [D7]yellow streak a-runnin' down his back.
He doesn't [G]have to stool, he'll [C]always get along
On [D7]what he takes out of blind men's [G]cups.
Verse
You [G]got a union now, and you're [C]sittin' pretty,
Put some of the [D7]boys on the steering [G]committee.
The boss won't [C]listen when one guy squawks,
But he's [D7]got to listen when the union talks.
He'd [G]better, [C]be mighty lonely
If [D7]everybody decide to walk [G]out on him.
Verse
[G]Suppose they're working you so hard it's [C]just outrageous
And they're [D7]paying you all [G]starvation wages.
You go to the boss and the [C]boss would yell,
[D7]"Before I raise your pay I'd see you all in hell."[G]
Well, he's [G]puffing a big seegar, [C]feeling mighty slick
'Cause he [D7]thinks he's got your [G]union licked.
Well, he looks out the window and [C]what does he see
But a [D7]thousand pickets, and they all agree:
He's a [G]bastard, [C]unfair, [D7]slavedriver,
Bet he beats [G]his wife!
Verse
Now, boys, [G]you've come to the [C]hardest time.
The [D7]boss will try to bust your [G]picket line.
He'll call out the police, the [C]National Guard,
They'll [D7]tell you it's a crime to have a union card.
They'll [G]raid your meetin', they'll [C]hit you on the head,
They'll [D7]call every one of you a goddam red,
[G]Unpatriotic, [C]Japanese spies, [D7]sabotaging national [G]defense!
Verse
But [G]out at Ford, here's [C]what they found,
And [D7]out in Pittsburgh, here's [G]what they found,
And [G]out at Allis-Chalmers, here's [C]what they found,
And down at [D7]Bethlehem, here's [G]what they found:
That if you don't let red-baiting [C]break you up,
And if you [D7]don't let stoolpigeons [G]break you up,
And if you don't let vigilantes [C]break you up,
And if you [D7]don't let race hatred break you up,
Outro
[G]You'll win. What I mean, take it easy, but take it!
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