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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Two Songs for Political Direct Action |
Current rating: 0 |
by Paul Kotheimer, for Associated Poets, Serious
Email: herringb (nospam) prairienet.org (unverified!)
Phone: 217-344-8820
Address: 218 West Main Suite 110; Urbana, IL 61801 |
25 May 2001
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Songwriter Paul Kotheimer has been studying his folk song history of late. Here are two lyrical settings based on activist folk tunes of the late 1920's. |
The GEO is Gonna Roll the Union On
To the tune of John Hancock's "Roll the Unoin On," the tune of which is similar to a number of traditional tunes of the American South, including "Polly Wally Doodle," for example. Hancock's 1929 [?] recording of "Roll the Union On" can be found on Disc One of the 10 CD set entitled (Dr. Ronald D. Cohen, et al, eds.).
CHORUS The G.E.O. is gonna roll,*
We gonna roll the union on.
The G.E.O. is gonna roll,
We gonna roll the union on!
VERSE If the chancellor's in the way,
We gonna roll it over him,
Roll it over him,
We gonna roll it over him.
If the chancellor's in the way,
We gonna roll it over him.
Roll this union on!
CHORUS [as above]
VERSE If the TRUS-tees' in the way,
We gonna roll it over them...
CHORUS
VERSE Admini-STRA-tion's in the way,
We gonna roll it over them...
CHORUS
VERSE Department HEADS are in the way,
We gonna roll it over them...
CHORUS
VERSE Labor Re-LA-tions in the way?
We gonna roll it over them...
CHORUS
VERSE If the GOV-'ner's in the way,
We gonna roll it over him...
CHORUS
VERSE The pres-i-DENT's in the way,
We gonna roll it over him...
FINAL CHORUS
*N. B.: These lyrics are probably performed best if "roll" is pronounced so as to almost-rhyme with "G. E. O.," in the spirit of the 19th Century African-American spiritual. The G. E. O. is the Graduate Employees Organization of the University of Illinois. This AFT-affiliated union has been fighting for recognition by the University administration since 1993.
+++
ORGANIZE the G. E. O.
To the tune of "Got to Organize, Baby Mine," which is also preserved in an audio recording from the 1929 on the same disc of the aforementioned 10-CD set. Woody Guthrie sang the tune with some of his own lyrics as part of an Almanac Singers' recording session in 1941. The melody resembles one I've heard sung on a record by Robert Johnson, which gives me a hunch that it's a traditional
tune of the American South as well.
CHORUS Well, we got to organize the G. E. O.!
Said, we got to organize the G. E. O.!
Cause with a good, strong G. E. O.,
Their union-busting's got to go:
U. I. U. C.* will recognize when we organize!
Let that president go watch the football game.
Let that president go watch the football game.
Let him watch that football game.
His campus won't remain the same
If we just keep organizin' the G. E. O.
CHORUS Well, we got to organize the G. E. O.!
Said, we got to organize the G. E. O.!
Yes, we got to organize,
and cut the PRES-ident down to size.
U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize!
Let that chancellor keep talking on the phone!
Let that chancellor keep talking on the phone!
Well, he be talking on the phone,
But the G. E. O. won't leave him alone.
We just gotta keep organizing the G. E. O.
CHORUS Well, we got to organize the G. E. O.!
Said, we got to organize the G. E. O.!
Yes, we got to organize,
and cut the CHAN-c'llor down to size.
U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize!
Let that Board of Trustees talk that double-talk.
Let that Board of Trustees talk that double-talk.
They won't be talking double talk
When all their T. A.'s take a walk.
That's why we gotta keep organinzing the G. E. O.!
CHORUS Well, we got to organize the G. E. O.!
Said, we got to organize the G. E. O.!
Yes, we got to organize,
and cut those TRUS-tee's down to size.
U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize!
U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize!
U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize!
*UIUC stands for "University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign," the institution which currently opposes the recognition of the Graduate Employees Organization. |
