Oh the winter is gone and the springtime has come
So I'll pick up my bundle and go on the bum
Halleluia, I'm a bum, Halleluia, bum again
Halleluia, give us a handout to revive us again
Oh I went to a house and I asked for some bread
And the lady said Bum, Bum, the baker is dead
Halleluia, I'm a bum, Halleluia, bum again
Halleluia, give us a handout to revive us again
Oh why don't you work as other men do?
How the hell can I work when there's no work to do?
Halleluia, I'm a bum, Halleluia, bum again
Halleluia, give us a handout to revive us again
Oh why don't you pray for your daily bread?
Well, if that's all I did I would damn soon be dead
Halleluia, I'm a bum, Halleluia, bum again
Halleluia, give us a handout to revive us again
Oh I went to a house and I knocked on the door
The lady said Bum, Bum, you've been here before
Guitar chords for Halleluiah I’m a Bum
C
Oh the winter is gone and the springtime has come
G7
So I'll pick up my bundle and go on the bum
C G7
Halleluia, I'm a bum, Halleluia, bum again
C G7 C
Halleluia, give us a handout to revive us a-gain
Notes on Halleluiah I’m a Bum
Hallelujah, I’m a Bum was a popular hobo/folk song in the United States in the early decades of the 20th century. In 1928 Harry “Haywire Mac” McClintock went to court to claim authorship of the song, and won. He said that he had put his own words to the tune of an old gospel song, Revive Us Again, whilst travelling around as a hobo in the late 1890s and singing for his supper in army camps. The song – originally called Halleluia on the Bum – rapidly spread around the country because the soldiers liked it so much (they added verses of their own) and became a staple of the IWW: the Industrial Workers of the World Labour Union – or Wobblies, as the members called themselves.
Mac said: “There were only two or three verses at first but new ones practically wrote themselves. The junglestiffs liked the song and so did the saloon audiences, most of whom had hit the road at one time or another, and the rollicking, devil-may-care lilt of the thing appealed to them.”
Haywire Mac was a Wobbly songleader and made his own recording of the song in 1926. He went to court to establish his claim against the many publishing companies who had turned out sheet music of the song. These verses were published on an IWW four-tune song card in 1908:
Why don't you work like other folks do?
How the hell can I work when there's no work to do? /
when the sky is so blue?
OR: How can I get a job when you're holding down two?
Oh, why don't you save all the money you earn?
If I didn't eat, I'd have money to burn
Whenever I get all the money I earn
The boss will be broke and to work he must turn
Oh, I like my boss, he's a good friend of mine
That's why I am starving out on the breadline
When springtime it comes, oh, won't we have fun
We'll throw off our jobs, and go on the bum
I can't buy a job 'cause I ain't got the dough
So I ride in a boxcar 'cause I'm a hobo
I went to a bar and I asked for a drink,
They gave me a glass and they showed me the sink
You can find a very interesting article about the IWW and Haywire Mac on Manfred Helfert’s History in Song website.
The 1933 Movie Hallelujah, I’m a Bum has a title song by Rogers and Hart with the refrain Hallelujah, I’m a Bum Again – sung by the central character who finds, then loses, a thousand dollar bill. However it is a completely different song. Rogers and Hart were probably using a phrase which had passed into common use because of the original song, or possibly as songwriters they were aware of McClintock’s recent court case and the phrase had caught their interest.
Haywire Mac also claimed copyright to The Big Rock Candy Mountains (which he had recorded) but lost the case.
Word is to the kitchen gone
And word is to the hall
And word is up to Madam the Queen
And that's the worst of all
That Mary Hamilton's borne a babe
To the highest Stuart of all
Oh rise arise Mary Hamilton
Arise and tell to me
What thou hast done with thy wee babe
I saw and heard weep by thee
I put him in a tiny boat
And cast him out to sea
That he might sink or he might swim
But he'll never come back to me
Oh rise arise Mary Hamilton
Arise and come with me
There is a wedding in Glasgow Town
This night we'll go and see
She put not on her robe of black
Nor yet her robe of brown
But she put on her robe of white
To ride into Glasgow Town
As she rode into Glasgow Town
The city for to see
The Bailiff's wife and Provost's wife
Cried Oh and alas for thee!
You need not weep for me, she cried
You need not weep for me
For had I not slain my own wee babe
This death I would not dee
Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to?
All on that day
Run to the sun, sun won't you hide me?
Run to the sun, sun won't you hide me?
Run to the sun, sun won't you hide me?
All on that day
No sinner man, sun'll be a freezing
Run to the moon, moon won't you hide me?
No sinner man, moon'll be a bleeding
Run to the rock, rock won't you hide me?
No sinner man, rock'll be a melting
Run to the sea, sea won't you hide me?
No sinner man, sea'll be a boiling
Run to the Lord, Lord won't you hide me?
No sinner man, you should be a prayin'
Run to the Devil, Devil won't you hide me?
Yes sinner man, come on in and howdy
Yes sinner man, come on in and howdy
Yes sinner man, come on in and howdy
All on that day
Guitar chords for Sinner Man
Am
Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to?
G
Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Am
Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to?
Em G Am
All on that day
In South Australia I was born
Heave away, haul away
In South Australia 'round Cape Horn
We're bound for South Australia
Haul away, you rolling kings
Heave away, haul away
Haul away, oh hear me sing
We're bound for South Australia
As I walked out one morning fair
Heave away, haul away
'Twas there I saw Miss Nancy bare
We're bound for South Australia
Haul away, you rolling kings...
I shook her up, I shook her down
Heave away, haul away
I shook her round and round the town
We're bound for South Australia
Haul away, you rolling kings...
There ain't but one thing grieves my mind
Heave away, haul away
To leave Miss Nancy's bare behind
We're bound for South Australia
Haul away, you rolling kings...
And as we wallop around Cape Horn
Heave away, haul away
You'll wish to God you'd never been born
We're bound for South Australia
Haul away, you rolling kings
Heave away, haul away
Haul away, oh hear me sing
We're bound for South Australia
From this valley they say you are going
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile
For they say you are taking the sunshine
That has brightened our pathways awhile
Come and sit by my side if you love me
Do not hasten to bid me adieu
Just remember the Red River Valley
And the cowboy who loved you so true
Do you think of the valley you're leaving
Oh how lonely, how lonesome 'twill be
Do you think of the fond hearts you're grieving
And the pain you are causing to me
Come and sit by my side if you love me...
I've been thinking a long time, my darling
Of the sweet words you never would say
Now alas for my fond heart is breaking
For they say you are going away
Come and sit by my side if you love me...
They will bury me where you have wandered
On the hills where the daffodils grow
When you're gone from the Red River Valley
For I can't live without you, I know
Come and sit by my side if you love me
Do not hasten to bid me adieu
Just remember the Red River Valley
And the cowboy who loved you so true
Guitar chords for Red River Valley
C
From this valley they say you are going
G7
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile
C F
For they say you are taking the sunshine
C G7 C
That has brightened our pathways awhile
O Where are you going, says Milder to Malder,
O I cannot tell you, says Festel to Fose,
We're going to the green woods, says John the Red Nose (x2)
O what will you to there, says Milder to Malder
O I cannot tell you, says Festel to Fose,
We'll shoot the Cutty Wren, says John the Red Nose (x2)
O how will you shoot her, says Milder to Malder
O I cannot tell you, says Festel to Fose,
With bows and with arrows says John the Red Nose (x2)
O that will not do, says Milder to Malder
O what will you do then, says Festel to Fose,
With guns and with cannons, says John the Red Nose (x2)
O how will you bring her home, says Milder to Malder
O I cannot tell you says Festel to Fose,
On four strong men's shoulders, says John the Red Nose (x2)
O that will not do, says Milder to Malder
O what will do then, says Festel to Fose,
With carts and with waggons, says John the Red Nose (x2)
With what will you cut her up, says Milder to Malder
O I cannot tell you says Festel to Fose,
With knives and with forks, says John the Red Nose (x2)
O that will not do, says Milder to Malder
O what will do then, says Festel to Fose
With hatchets and cleavers, says John the Red Nose (x2)
O how will you boil her, says Milder to Malder
O I cannot tell you says Festel to Fose,
In pots and in kettles, says John the Red Nose (x2)
O that will not do, says Milder to Malder
O what will do then, says Festel to Fose,
In a bloody great brass cauldron, says John the Red Nose (x2)
O who'll have the spare ribs, says Milder to Malder
O I cannot tell you says Festel to Fose,
Build your fire of hickory, hickory, ash and oak
Don't use green or rotten wood,
they'll get you by the smoke
In 1649 to St George's Hill
A ragged band they called the Diggers
Came to show the people's will
They defied the landlords, they defied the laws
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs
We come in peace, they said, to dig and sow
We come to work the land in common
And to make the waste grounds grow
This earth divided, we will make whole
So it will be a common treasury for all
The sin of property we do disdain
No man has any right to buy and sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder they took the land
Now everywhere the walls spring up at their command.
They make the laws to chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven
Or they damn us into hell
We will not worship the god they serve
The god of greed who feeds the rich while poor folk starve
We work, we eat together, we need no swords
We will not bow to the masters
Or pay rent to the lords
We are free men, though we are poor
You Diggers all, stand up for glory, stand up now
From the men of property, the orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers
To wipe out the Diggers' claim
Tear down their cottages, destroy their corn
They were dispersed, but still the vision lingers on
You poor take courage, you rich take care
This earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common, all people one
We come in peace; the orders came to cut them down
Leon Rosselson
Guitar chords for World Turned Upside Down
C Dm
In 1649 to St George's Hill
F
A ragged band they called the diggers
C
Came to show the people's will
Dm
They defied the landlords,they defied the laws
F C G C
They were the dispossessed re-claiming what was theirs
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley; and I thought
This land is made for you and me
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters
This land is made for you and me
I roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling souls of our Diamond desert
All around me a voice was chanting
This land is made for you and me
This land is your land...
Sun came shining as I was strolling
And the wheat sheaves waving and the dust clouds rolling,
And a voice was sounding; and the fog was lifting; and it said
This land is made for you and me
This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters
This land is made for you and me
Woody Guthrie
Guitar chords for This Land is Your Land
C F C
As I went walking that ribbon of highway
G7 C, C7
I saw a-bove me that endless skyway
F C
I saw be-low me that golden valley and I thought
G7 C
This land is made for you and me
F C
This land is your land, this land is my land
G7 C
From Cali-fornia to the New York Island
F C
From the redwood forests to the Gulf Stream waters
G7 C
This land is made for you and me
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that Washington never told a lie
I learned that soldiers seldom die
I learned that everybody's free
That's what the teacher said to me
That's what I learned in school today
That's what I learned in school.
I learned that policemen are my friends
I learned that Justice never ends
I learned that murderers die for their crimes
Even if we make a mistake sometimes
I learned that our government must be strong
It's always right and never wrong
Our leaders are the finest men
And we select them, again and again
I learned that war is not so bad
I learned about the great ones we have had
We fought in Germany and in France
And some day I may get my chance
Tom Paxton
Under the full moonlight we dance, spirits, dance, we dance
Holding hands, we dance
Joining souls, rejoice