Chords for Phil Ochs - Links on the Chain

_ _ _ _ _ _ [F#] _ _
[B] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [B] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ Come you ranks of labor, come union corps, _ _ and see if you remember the struggles of before _
when [F#m] you were standing [E] helpless on the outside [F#]
of the door.
[G#m] And you started _ [F#]
building links [B] on the chain, _ [G#m] on the chain.
[C#m] And you started [F#] building _ links [B] on the chain. _
_ _ When the police on the horses were waiting on demand,
_ _ _ riding through the [D] strike with a pistol [C#] in their hand,
[B] _ _
swinging at [G#m] the [E] skulls of [F#] many a union man.
[C#m] As you build [F#] one more link [B] on the chain, [G#m] on the chain.
[C#m] As you build [F#m] one more [F#] link _ [B] on the chain. _ _ _
_ _ _ [F#] Then the army of the fascists [B] tried to put you on the run,
_ but the army of the union, they [C#] did what could be _ done.
Oh, the [G#m] power of the [E] factory was greater [F#] than the gun.
[C#m] As you build [F#] one more link [B] on the chain, [G#m] on the chain.
As you build one [F#] more link [B] on the chain. _ _ _
_ _ And then in 1954 decisions finally [A] made,
[B] _ oh, the black man was rising fast, [C#] racing from the shade.
[B] _
And your [G#m] union took no stance, and your union [F#] was betrayed.
_ [C#m] As you lost [F#] yourself a link [B] on the chain, [G#m] on the chain.
_ [C#m] As you lost [F#m] yourself [F#] a link on [B] the chain. _ _
_ _ And then there came the [F#m] boycotts, and then the freedom [A] [B] riots.
And forgetting what you stood for, you tried [C#] to block the ties.
Oh, the [G#m] automation bosses were laughing [F#] on the side,
[C#m] as they watched [F#] you lose your [C#] links on the chain, [G#m] on the chain.
_ [C#m] As they watched you [F#m] lose your links [B] on the chain. _ _
_ You know when they block your trucks, boys, by laying on the road,
_ all that they are [A] doing is all [B] that you have showed. _
That you gotta [G#m] strike, you gotta fight, to [F#] get what you are owed.
[C#m] When you're building [F#] all your links [B] on the chain, [G#m] on the chain.
When you're building [F#] all your links on [B] the chain. _ _ _
_ And the man who tries to tell you [D] that they'll take your job [A] away,
[B] _ he's the same man who was scabbing hard just the other day.
And your [G#m] union's not a union till it's [F#] thrown out of the way.
[C#m] And he's choking [F#] on your links [B] on the chain, [G#m] on the chain.
[C#m] And he's choking [F#] on your links on [B] the chain. _ _ _ _
_ For now the times are telling you, the times are rolling [A] on.
[B] _ And you're fighting for the same [D] thing, the jobs that will be gone.
[B] _
Now it's only [G#] fair to ask [B] you, boys, which side [F#] are you on?
[G#m] As you're building [F#] all your links [B] on the chain, [G#m] on the chain.
_ [C#m] As you're building [F#m] all your [F#] links _ [B] on the [G#m] chain. _
[B] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _