Songs of the Industrial Workers of the World (4th Australian edition)/What We Want

by Joe Hill

WHAT WE WANT.
By Joe Hill.
(Tune: "Rainbow").

We want all the workers in the world to organize,
Into a great big union grand,
And when we all united stand
The world for workers we'll demand
If the working class could only see and realize
What mighty power labor has,
Then the exploiting master class,
It would soon fade away.

CHORUS:

Come all ye toilers that work for wages.

Come from every land,
Join the fighting band,
In one union grand,
Then for the workers we'll make upon this earth a paradise,
When the slaves get wise and organise.

We want the sailor and the tailor and the lumberjacks,
And all the cooks and laundry girls,
We want the guy that dives for pearls,
The pretty maid that's making curls,
And the baker and staker and the chimney sweep,
We want the man that's slinging hash,
The child that works for little cash.
In one union grand.

CHORUS:

We want the tinner and the skinner and the chambermaid,

We want the man that spikes on soles,
We want the man that's digging holes,
We want the man that's climbing poles,
And the trucker and the mucker and the hired man,
And all the factory girls and clerks,
Yes, we want every one that works.
In one union grand.