Digital Tradition Mirror

The Preacher and the Slave

(This score available as ABC, SongWright, PostScript, PNG, or PMW, or a MIDI file)
Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

The Preacher and the Slave
(Joe HilI)

 Long-haired preachers come out every night,
    Try to tell you what's wrong and what's right;
    But when asked how 'bout something to eat
    They will answer with voices so sweet:

 Main Chorus:

You will eat, bye and bye,
    In that glorious land above the sky;
    Work and Pray, live on hay,
    You'll get pie in the sky when you die.

 And the starvation army they play,
    And they sing and they clap and they pray.
    Till they get all your coin on the drum,
    Then they tell you when you are on the bum:

 If you fight hard for children and wife
    Try to get something good in this life
    You're a sinner and bad man, they tell,
    When you die you will sure go to hell.

 Workingmen of all countries unite,
     Side by side we for freedom will fight;
     When the world and its wealth we have gained
     To the grafters we'll sing this refrain:

 Last Chorus:

      You will eat, bye and bye,
      When you've learned how to cook and to fry
      Chop some wood, 'twill do you good
      And you'll eat in the sweet bye and bye.

 (Tune : In the Sweet Bye and Bye)
IWW Songbook 1911 Edition
RG

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!