Here are the lyrics to some of Seeger's popular and controversial songs, as well as a list of some others.
Union Maid
There once was a union maid, she never was afraid
Of goons and ginks and company finks and the deputy sheriffs who made the raid.
She went to the union hall when a meeting it was called,
And when the Legion boys come 'round
She always stood her ground.
CHORUS:
Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union,
I'm sticking to the union, I'm sticking to the union.
Oh, you can't scare me, I'm sticking to the union,
I'm sticking to the union 'til the day I die.
This union maid was wise to the tricks of company spies,
She couldn't be fooled by a company stool, she'd always organize the guys.
She always got her way when she struck for better pay.
She'd show her card to the National Guard
And this is what she'd say:
CHORUS
You gals who want to be free, just take a tip from me;
Get you a man who's a union man and join the ladies' auxiliary.
Married life ain't hard when you got a union card,
A union man has a happy life when he's got a union wife.
CHORUS
Although Pete Seeger was an extreme anti-war activist, he still wrote this famous song to president Franklin Roosevelt.
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT
Dear Mr. President, I set me down,
To send you greetings from my home town,
And send you best wishes from all the friends I know
In Texas, Alabama, Ohio,
And affiliated places. Brooklyn, Mississippi.
I’m an ordinary guy, worked most of my life,
Sometime I’ll settle down with my kids and wife,
And I like to see a movie or take a little drink.
I like being free to say what I think,
Sort of runs in the family...
My grandpa crossed the ocean for the same reason.
Now I hate Hitler and I can tell you why,
He’s caused lots of good folks to suffer and die.
He’s got a way of shoving folks around,
I figure it’s about time we slapped him down,
Give him a dose of his own medicine...
Lead poisoning.
Now Mr. President, we haven’t always agreed in the past, I know,
But that ain’t at all important, now,
What is important is what we got to do,
We got to lick Mr. Hitler, and until we do,
Other things can wait,
In other words, first we got a skunk to skin.
War means overtime and higher prices,
But we’re all willing to make sacrifices,
Hell, I’d even stop fighting with my mother-in-law,
‘Cause we need her too, to win the war...
Old battle axe.
Now as I think of our great land,
Of the cities and towns and farming land,
There’s so many good people working every day,
I know it ain’t perfect but it will be some day,
Just give us a little time.
This is the reason that I want to fight,
Not because everything’s perfect or everything’s right.
No. it’s just the opposite... I’m fighting because I want
A better America with better laws,
And better homes and jobs and schools,
And no more Jim Crow and no more rules,
Like you can’t ride on this train ‘cause you’re a Negro,
You can’t live here ‘cause you’re a Jew
You can’t work here ‘cause you’re a union man.
There’s a line keeps running through my head,
I think it was something Joe Louis once said,
Said, "There’s lots of things wrong,
But Hitler won’t help 'em."
Now Mr. President, you’re commander-in-chief of our armed forces,
Ships and planes, and the tanks and horses.
I guess you know best just where I can fight,
All I want to be is situated right...
To do the most damage.
I never was one to try and shirk,
And let the other fellow do all the work,
So when the time comes, I’ll be on hand,
And make good use of these two hands.
Quit playing this banjo around with the boys,
And exchange it for something that makes more noise.
So Mr. President, we’ve got this one big job to do,
That’s lick Mr. Hitler and when we’re through,
Let no one else ever take his place,
To trample down the human race.
So what I want is you to give me a gun,
So we can hurry up and get the job done.
Words by Pete Seeger (1942) Tune: traditional ("talking blues")
© 1993 by Stormking Music Inc.
HOLD THE LINE
Let me tell you the story of a line that was held,
And many brave men and women whose courage we know well,
How we held the line at Peekskill on that long September day!
We will hold the line forever till the people have their way.
Chorus (after each verse):
Hold the line!
Hold the line!
As we held the line at Peekskill
We will hold it everywhere.
Hold the line!
Hold the line!
We will hold the line forever
Till there's freedom ev'rywhere.
Words by Lee Hays; Music by Pete Seeger (1949)
(c) 1959 (renewed) by Sanga Music Inc
WE SHALL OVERCOME
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
CHORUS:
Oh, deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome some day
We'll walk hand in hand...
We shall all be free...
We are not afraid...
We are not alone...
The whole wide world around ...
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome some day
Oh deep in my heart
I do believe
We Shall overcome some day
Words by Pete Seeger and Lucille Simmons,
Music adapted from African American Spirituals
| DANGEROUS SONGS |
|
1. Medley: Robin The Bobbin/Mary, Mary Quite Contrary/Little Jack Horner 2. Die Gedanken Sind Frei 3. Jackaro 4. Never Wed An Old Man 5. John Brown's Body 6. Going Across The Mountains 8. King Henry 9. Medley: Ode To Joy/Goliath, Goliath 10. Queen Anne Front 11. Joe Hill's 'Casey Jones' 12. One Grain Of Sand 13. The Pill 14. The Draft Dodger Rag 15. Mao Tse Tung 16. Walking Down Death Row 17. Two From Shakespeare: Full Fathom Five/Perchance To Win 18. Beams In My Ears 19. Equinoxial 20. Joe Hill's 'Casey Jones' (Alternate With Guitar) 21. What Next? 22.If I had a hammer 23.Where have all the flowers gone |
"Our songs are like you and me; the product of a long human chain."
- Pete Seeger