Well May the World Go
words & music by Pete Seeger
Chorus:
Well may the world go, the world go, the world go
Well may the world go when I'm far away
Sweet may the breezes blow
Clear may the streams flow
Blue above and green below
When I'm far away
Sweet may the fiddle sound
The banjo play the old hoedown
Dancers swing round and round
When I'm far away
Swift may the skiers turn
The swimmers churn, the lovers burn
Peace may the nations learn
When I'm far away
Chorus:
Well may the world go, the world go, the world go
Well may the world go when I'm far away
Sweet may the breezes blow
Clear may the streams flow
Blue above and green below
When I'm far away
Sweet may the fiddle sound
The banjo play the old hoedown
Dancers swing round and round
When I'm far away
Swift may the skiers turn
The swimmers churn, the lovers burn
Peace may the nations learn
When I'm far away
Joe Hill
words by Alfred Hayes, music by Earl Robinson
I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night
Alive as you and me
Says I, "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died," says he (2x)
"The copper bosses killed you, Joe
"They shot you, Joe," says I
"Takes more than guns to kill a man"
Says Joe, "I didn't die"
Standing there as big as life
And smiling with his eyes
Joe says, "What they could never kill
"Went on to organize!"
"From San Diego, up to Maine
"In every mine and mill
"When workers fight and organize
"It's there you'll find Joe Hill"
I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night
Alive as you and me
Says I, "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died," says he (2x)
©1938 by Leeds Music Corp.
I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night
Alive as you and me
Says I, "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died," says he (2x)
"The copper bosses killed you, Joe
"They shot you, Joe," says I
"Takes more than guns to kill a man"
Says Joe, "I didn't die"
Standing there as big as life
And smiling with his eyes
Joe says, "What they could never kill
"Went on to organize!"
"From San Diego, up to Maine
"In every mine and mill
"When workers fight and organize
"It's there you'll find Joe Hill"
I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night
Alive as you and me
Says I, "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died," says he (2x)
©1938 by Leeds Music Corp.
John Henry
traditional
As learned from Lily Mae Ledford.
When John Henry was just a little baby boy
Sitting on his Daddy's knee
He said, "The Big Bend Tunnel on the C&O line
"Gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord
"Gonna be the death of me."
Well, the capt. said to John Henry,
"Gonna bring that steam drill around
"I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on the job
"Gonna whup that old steel on down..."
Well, John Henry said to the capt.,
He said, "A man ain't nothing but a man
"But before I would let that old steam drill beat me down
"I'd die with this hammer in my hand..."
So John Henry hammered on the mountain
His hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard he broke his poor heart
Laid down his hammer and he died....
Now the man who invented the steam drill
He though he was mighty fine
But John Henry, he had driven 15 ft.
And that steam drill had only made nine...
Now every Monday morning
When the bluebirds begin to sing
Way off yonder, bout a mile or more
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring...
As learned from Lily Mae Ledford.
When John Henry was just a little baby boy
Sitting on his Daddy's knee
He said, "The Big Bend Tunnel on the C&O line
"Gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord
"Gonna be the death of me."
Well, the capt. said to John Henry,
"Gonna bring that steam drill around
"I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on the job
"Gonna whup that old steel on down..."
Well, John Henry said to the capt.,
He said, "A man ain't nothing but a man
"But before I would let that old steam drill beat me down
"I'd die with this hammer in my hand..."
So John Henry hammered on the mountain
His hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard he broke his poor heart
Laid down his hammer and he died....
Now the man who invented the steam drill
He though he was mighty fine
But John Henry, he had driven 15 ft.
And that steam drill had only made nine...
Now every Monday morning
When the bluebirds begin to sing
Way off yonder, bout a mile or more
You can hear John Henry's hammer ring...
Forgive Us
words & music by John McCutcheon
In the little town that I was born in
Early every Sunday morning
We'd drive past those fields of corn
That led us to St. James
Planted in those hard, oak pews
Your neighbors sitting next to you
We said the words each of us knew
As well as our own names
Our Father, who art in heaven
Holy is your name
Thy kingdom come
They will be done
Give us our daily bread
Then came the hardest part
The one that troubled every heart
Those haunting words of mystery
That long have followed after me
Chorus:
Forgive us as we forgive
Forgive us as we forgive
Forgive us as we forgive each other
In the long years since those days
My soul and heart have often strayed
But still I bow my life to pray
Those sweet familiar words
And though the meanings shift and dart
Whenever I come to that part
It stirs my soul and stills my heart
Like nothing I have heard
Chorus
In that Pennsylvania town
That awful day that awful sound
When madness struck the young girls down
A tale too often heard
These strangers from another time
They knew the grief, they knew the crime
Still somehow, somewhere they could find
The strength to strength these words
Chorus
Sometimes what’s holy is so true
It’s standing right in front of you
There’s nothing you can really do
There’s nothing you can say
Except to humbly take your place
In the trials that we face
May we somehow find the grace
To live the words we pray
Chorus
©2006 John McCutcheon/Appalsongs (ASCAP)
In the little town that I was born in
Early every Sunday morning
We'd drive past those fields of corn
That led us to St. James
Planted in those hard, oak pews
Your neighbors sitting next to you
We said the words each of us knew
As well as our own names
Our Father, who art in heaven
Holy is your name
Thy kingdom come
They will be done
Give us our daily bread
Then came the hardest part
The one that troubled every heart
Those haunting words of mystery
That long have followed after me
Chorus:
Forgive us as we forgive
Forgive us as we forgive
Forgive us as we forgive each other
In the long years since those days
My soul and heart have often strayed
But still I bow my life to pray
Those sweet familiar words
And though the meanings shift and dart
Whenever I come to that part
It stirs my soul and stills my heart
Like nothing I have heard
Chorus
In that Pennsylvania town
That awful day that awful sound
When madness struck the young girls down
A tale too often heard
These strangers from another time
They knew the grief, they knew the crime
Still somehow, somewhere they could find
The strength to strength these words
Chorus
Sometimes what’s holy is so true
It’s standing right in front of you
There’s nothing you can really do
There’s nothing you can say
Except to humbly take your place
In the trials that we face
May we somehow find the grace
To live the words we pray
Chorus
©2006 John McCutcheon/Appalsongs (ASCAP)
Step by Step
Learned from Nimrod Workman of Chattaroy, WV
Step by step the longest march can be won, can be won
Many stones can form an arch, singly none, singly none
And by union what we will can be accomplished still
Drops of water turn a mill, singly none singly none
Step by step the longest march can be won, can be won
Many stones can form an arch, singly none, singly none
And by union what we will can be accomplished still
Drops of water turn a mill, singly none singly none