Song For Labor Day

This is an old, very old, labor song. From bonny Scotland. This one predates the industrial revolution and shows a working man's awareness of his worth. I provide it here, without trying to accentuate the Scot's burr which is required to make the poetry truly scan and rhyme. The Clancy Brothers recorded an excellent version of this. Do some digging, it's worth a listen. This song was also the inspiration for the name of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger's group "The Weavers"

To hear the melody line in MIDI click
here.

The Work O' The Weavers

We're all met together here to sit and to clack
With our glasses in our hands and our work upon our back
There's nae a trade among 'em who could mend or could knack
If it wasna for the Work O' the Weavers

CHORUS:

If it wasna for the weavers wha' would ya do?
Ya wouldna hae no cloth tha's made o' wool.
Ya wouldna hae no greens, nor your greys, nor your blues
If it wasna for the work o' the weavers.

There's soldiers and there's sailors and there's glaziers an' a'
There's doctors and there's ministers
An' them as read the law
There's them as count up money but they'd do no work at all
If it wasna for the work of the weavers

Chorus

There's folks tha's independant of another tradesman's work
For women need nae barbers and the dykers need nae clark
But nae o' them could walk about wi'out a coat and shirt
For a' tha' they must come to the weavers

Chorus

The weaving is a trade which never can fail
As long as we wear clothes for ta keep a body hale
So let us all be merry an' o'er a beaker of good ale
We will drink to the health of the weavers

Chorus



Of course, weaving as a trade vanished with the industrial revolution. But it's a good thing to remember that those work at trades like the weavers of old are well aware of the vital quality of their work. Mr. Shakes was indeed gracious enough to give voice to the lyrics, for which we are grateful.
Happy Labor day, to those who are lucky enough to have work to do, to all those who are looking. I offer my best wishes.

UPDATE

After a little more research, including the aforemention Mr. Shakes, I chose to turn the word in the first line, first verse back to "clack." I did this because that was how I learned the song. I did this even after consulting two confirming sources that listed it as "crack." I learned the song from an Irishman, so you have the whole Irish guy doing the Scots' accent, but there's a punnish aspect of having it be "clack" that appeals to me. They could be chatting, they could also be "clacking" at their looms. Hey, it's folk music. Don't complain to me I didn't make the rules of folk tradition which allow you to rework, rewrite at full liberty.