Joe Hill

Joe Hill come over from Sweden shores
 Looking for some work to do
 And the Statue of Liberty waved him by
 As Joe come a sailing through, Joe Hill
 As Joe come a sailing through.
 Oh his clothes were coarse and his hopes were high
 As he headed for the promised land
 And it took a few weeks on the out-of-work streets
 Before he began to understand
 Before he began to understand
 And Joe got hired by a bowery bar
 Sweeping up the saloon
 As his rag would sail over the bar room rail
 Sounded like he whistled on a tune
 You could almost hear him whistling on a tune
 And Joe rolled on from job to job
 From the docks to the railroad line
 And no matter how hungry the hand that wrote
 In his letters he was always doing fine
 In his letters he was always doing fine
 Oh, the years went by like the sun goin' down
 Slowly turn the page
 And when Joe looked back at the sweat upon his tracks
 He had nothing to show but his age
 He had nothing to show but his age
 So he headed out for the California shore
 There things were just as bad
 So he joined the industrial workers of the world
 'Cause, The union was the only friend he had
 'Cause, The union was the only friend he had
 Now the strikes were bloody and the strikes were black
 As hard as they were long
 In the dark of night Joe would stay awake and write
 In the morning he would raise them with a song
 In the morning he would raise them with a song
 And he wrote his words to the tunes of the day
 To be passed along the union vine
 And the strikes were led and the songs were spread
 And Joe Hill was always on the line
 Yes Joe Hill was always on the line
 Now in Salt Lake City a murder was made
 There was hardly a clue to find
 Oh, the proof was poor, but the sheriff was sure
 Joe was the killer of the crime
 That Joe was the killer of the crime
 Joe raised his hands but they shot him down
 He had nothing but guilt to give
 It's a doctor I need and they left him to bleed
 He made it 'cause he had the will to live
 Yes, He made it 'cause he had the will to live
 Then the trial was held in a building of wood
 And there the killer would be named
 And the days weighed more than the cold copper ore
 Cause he feared that he was being framed
 Cause he found out that he was being framed
 Oh, strange are the ways of western law
 Strange are the ways of fate
 For the government crawled to the mine owner's call
 That the judge was appointed by the state
 Yes, The judge was appointed by the state
 Oh, Utah justice can be had
 But not for a union man
 And Joe was warned by summer early morn
 That there'd be one less singer in the land
 There'd be one less singer in the land
 Now William Spry was Governor Spry
 And a life was his to hold
 On the last appeal, fell a governor's tear
 May the lord have mercy on your soul
 May the lord have mercy on your soul
 Even President Wilson held up the day
 But even he would fail
 For nobody heard the soul searching words
 Of the soul in the Salt Lake City jail
 Of the soul in the Salt Lake City jail
 For 36 years he lived out his days
 And he more than played his part
 For his songs that he made, he was carefully paid
 With a rifle bullet buried in his heart
 With a rifle bullet buried in his heart
 Yes, they lined Joe Hill up against the wall
 Blindfold over his eyes
 It's the life of a rebel that he chose to live
 It's the death of a rebel that he died
 It's the death of a rebel that he died
 Now some say Joe was guilty as charged
 And some say he wasn't even there
 And I guess nobody will ever know
 'Cause the court records all disappeared
 'Cause the court records all disappeared
 Say wherever you go in this fair land
 In every union hall
 In the dusty dark these words are marked
 In between all the cracks upon the wall
 In between all the cracks upon the wall
 It's the very last line that Joe Will wrote
 When he knew that his days were through
 Boys, this is my last and final will
 Good luck to all of You
 Good luck to all of You