"Better than a Hundred Speeches": The Strike Song

As Ella May Wiggins's coffin was lowered into the ground, Katie Barrett sang Ella May's best-loved song, "Mill Mother's Lament." We leave our homes in the morning, We kiss our children good bye While we slave for the bosses Our children scream and cry. And when we draw our m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEncyclopedia of Strikes in American History pp. 103 - 117
Main Author Lynch, Timothy P.
Format Book Chapter
LanguageEnglish
Published United Kingdom Routledge 2009
M. E. Sharpe Incorporated
Edition1
Subjects
Strike Songs
UMWA
Trade Union Unity League
States Secretary
Joe Hill
CIO
Vice Versa
Almanac Singers
Red Songbook
Radical Minority
T R Od
Harlan County
IAM
People's Songs
Samuel Gompers
Firemen
Union Train
Picket Lines
IWW Member
Labor Songs
John Golden
CIO Union
Solidarity Forever
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Summary:As Ella May Wiggins's coffin was lowered into the ground, Katie Barrett sang Ella May's best-loved song, "Mill Mother's Lament." We leave our homes in the morning, We kiss our children good bye While we slave for the bosses Our children scream and cry. And when we draw our money Our grocery bills to pay, Not a cent to pay for clothing, Not a cent to lay away. And on that very evening, Our little son will say: "I need some shoes, Mother, And so does sister May." How it grieves a heart of a mother, You everyone must know, But we can't buy for our children Our wages are too low. It is for our little children, That seem to us so dear, But for us nor them, dear workers, The bosses do not care. But understand, all workers, Our union they do fear; Let's stand together, workers, And have a union here.
ISBN:0765613301
9780765613301
DOI:10.4324/9781315699844-12