One Big Union

The count is down, the devil’s in town, he’s getting us one by one.
We’re losin’ ground, we’re goin’ down, each ‘off on our own.’
Sparks will fly, good people will die; it’s dark before the dawn.
The fire will burn, till we finally learn, the way to right this wrong:

One big union, gonna change the paradigm,
One big union, on the streets and picket line;
One big union, every craft and every trade;
Break the chain, there’s a world to gain; man the barricades.

As long as people of color, are shot down in the street,
Some sister or some brother, chained in poverty;
As long as they fill the jails with tales of hell and misery,
At the least, there’ll be no peace, till we finally see:

One big union, black, white, blue and red,
One big union, like the IWW said,
One big union, like a rainbow in the sky;
Sound the bell, it’s time to rebel, people it’s do or die.

The water’s bad, the cows are mad, grim reapers everywhere.
On the farms, in city homes, we’re breathin’ poison air.
No place to run, no place to hide, might as well get it right.
The answer for this cancer, is when we all unite –

One big union, this planet’s all we got.
One big union, let’s give it our best shot.
One big union, for a better world in birth;
Hand in hand, in every land, protecting mother earth.

We’re off in our little corners, fightin’ our little fights.
While the place is getting’ stormier, there’s danger in our sights.
On the brink, we’re going extinct, better open up your eyes;
The only way we’ll win the day, is when we realize –

On big union, standin’ for what’s right,
One big union, not afraid to fight.
One big union, let me hear you shout;
They’ll say we blew it, if we don’t do it, time is running out!