https://youtu.be/eUifliF0rBU
Door Faith Petric and Mark Ross. Van Rebel Voices: Songs of the Industrial Workers of the World.
In deze barre tijden, waarin afgeven op links activisme vanuit guur-rechtse hoek welhaast een volkssport lijkt te zijn geworden is het altijd de moeite waard om te onthouden dat dit nooit heel veel anders geweest is.
De verdedigers van het kapitaal en de status quo hebben er altijd veel werk van gemaakt om mensen die wel willen strijden voor een betere wereld belachelijk te maken.
Met deze song maakt Faith Petric echter duidelijk dat je naar dat soort geneuzel niet hoeft te luisteren: als niemand je ooit voor “rooie rat” of “Gutmensch” heeft uitgemaakt betekent dat alleen maar dat je nog nooit een fascist of roofkapitalist hard genoeg op de tenen gestampt hebt.
when I was just a little thing I used to love parades
with banners, bands and red balloons and maybe lemonade
when I came home one mayday my neighbours father said
them marchers is all commies tell me kid are you a red?
well, I didnt know just what he meant my hair back then was brown
our house was plain red brick like most others in the town
so I went and asked my mamma why our neighbour called me red
my mummy took me on her knee and this is what she said
CHORUS:
well you aint done nothin if you aint been called a red
if youve marched or agitated, youre bound to hear it said
so you might as well ignore it, or love the word instead
cause you aint been doin nothin if you aint been called a red
when I was growin up, had my troubles I suppose
when someone took exception to my face or to my clothes
or tried to cheat me on a job or hit me on the head
when I organised to fight back why the stinkers called me red
but you aint done nothin if you aint been called a red
if youve marched or agitated, youre bound to hear it said
so you might as well ignore it, or love the word instead
cause you aint been doin nothin if you aint been called a red
when I was livin on my own one apartment that I had
had a lousy rotten landlord let me tell ya he was bad
but when he tried to throw me out I rubbed my hands and said
you havent seen a struggle if you havent fought a red!
and you aint done nothin if you aint been called a red
if youve marched or agitated, then youre bound to hear it said
so you might as well ignore it, or love the word instead
cause you aint been doin nothin if you aint been called a red
well I kept on agitatin, cause what else can you do?
youre gonna let the sons of bitches walk all over you
my friends said youll get fired, hanging with that commie mob
I should be so lucky buddy, I aint got a job
and you aint done nothin if you aint been called a red
if youve marched or agitated, then youre bound to hear it said
so you might as well ignore it, or love the word instead
cause you aint been doin nothin if you aint been called a red
well Ive been agitatin now for fifty years or more
for jobs or for equality and always against war
Ill keep on agitatin as far as I can see
and if thats what being red is then Its good enough for me
cause you aint done nothin if you aint been called a red
if youve marched or agitated, then youre bound to hear it said
so you might as well ignore it, or love the word instead
cause you aint been doin nothin if you aint been called a red
