Chords for Utah Phillips and Ani DiFranco — Lawrence/Bread and Roses
Tempo:
111.45 bpm
Chords used:
D
G
A
E
B
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[G]
[D] [E] [A]
[B] [D] [G] [D]
[G] [D]
[G]
[B] [D]
Lawrence, Massachusetts, [G] 1912.
[D] The story [E] I got from the oldest living wobbly, Minnie Quarter, [A] as a garment worker in New York City.
[D] [G] [D] 1912 was the time of the [G] great Lawrence textile [D] strike.
The huge mills, the huge looms had been built in Lawrence and [G] Lowell and other [E] cities all
over New England.
[D] And the young women came down from the failing farms of New Hampshire and [G] Vermont and Maine
to work in those new giant [E] mills.
All young women from the low [A] countries in Europe or from [D] France came over as contract
laborers, good enough to [G] sweat their lives out at the looms, [D] but not good enough to be citizens.
Some of those women were dying at the average age of 26 [G] because of the [A] dust in the weave rooms.
The average [D] age of 26.
Well, they struck.
[G] The issues were wages, hours, [D] and conditions, of [E] course.
Oh, Joe Ator, the [A] huge organizer, [D] who spoke all the [G] languages of [D] Lawrence.
There were about [G] 17 of them.
People could [D] hardly talk to each other.
But Joe Ator stood up in front of the Austin Mill on that stone stoop where I've [G] had a
chance to stand myself and [D] gazed out over 20,000 struck workers.
And he said in that huge voice, fellow workers, [G] the workers [D] with their hands in [E] their pockets
have more power than the combined power of [A] the bosses, besides which the bosses [D] can't
put their hands there.
[G] Well, Lawrence, [D] the strike was won.
Oh, a hard, hard, [G] bitter strike, though, all through [A] January.
There was [D] no way to feed the kids.
There's no food.
So they found sympathizers all over New England, as far south as New York.
And they sent the kids on the train [E] to wait the strike out.
And the mothers and the [A] children were beaten by the militia [D] and by the police on their
way to [A] the train station.
[G] [D] But they won.
And, you know, I never had to work underground [G] in Pennsylvania at [A] the age of 12 in a coal mine.
[D] My sister never had to work at the age of eight or nine at the looms [G] in Lawrence, [D] Massachusetts,
or anybody else.
[E] None of us have had to do those sorts of things.
And [A] why?
Why do we have [D] that eight-hour day?
Why [G] do we have those [D] mine safety laws?
Why do we have those laws busting the sweatshops?
Were they benevolent gifts from an enlightened management?
[G]
No.
They were fought [A] for, bled for, died [D] for by people a lot like us.
They died not on [G] the battlefield to fight [D] another dumb boss's war.
They died on the picket line to give all of us [A] a better future.
[C#] [D] Now there was a young woman [G] carrying a picket sign [D] during that strike.
And the sign said, We Want Bread, Yes, But Roses, Too.
[G]
So that [E] became known as the Bread and Roses Strike.
[D] And this is the song that came out of it.
Come marching, marching [G]
[D] [E] in kitchens by [Bm] [A] [D] [G]
the [D] beauty as sudden [D] sun discloses.
And the people hear us singing bread [G] [A]
and roses.
[D] Come marching, marching, [G] we battle through.
[D] For they are in this struggle and [B] [D] I shall not be sweated.
[G] From birth [D] until I'm close.
To serve as well as bodies, give us [G] bread, [A]
but give us [D] roses.
Come marching, marching, [G] a hundred million dead.
So [E] crying, thrashing, their [A] ancient pride for [D] bread.
Small heart and love and beauty, spirits new.
Yes, it's bread we fight for, but [G] we fight [A]
for roses.
[D] Come marching, [Bm] marching, make proud [D] and bold.
[E] The rising of the women and the rising.
[D] No more the trust, [G] [D]
but a sharing of life's glory.
[G] Bread and roses, bread [A] and roses, and bread [D] and
[N]
roses. Thank you.
[D] [E] [A]
[B] [D] [G] [D]
[G] [D]
[G]
[B] [D]
Lawrence, Massachusetts, [G] 1912.
[D] The story [E] I got from the oldest living wobbly, Minnie Quarter, [A] as a garment worker in New York City.
[D] [G] [D] 1912 was the time of the [G] great Lawrence textile [D] strike.
The huge mills, the huge looms had been built in Lawrence and [G] Lowell and other [E] cities all
over New England.
[D] And the young women came down from the failing farms of New Hampshire and [G] Vermont and Maine
to work in those new giant [E] mills.
All young women from the low [A] countries in Europe or from [D] France came over as contract
laborers, good enough to [G] sweat their lives out at the looms, [D] but not good enough to be citizens.
Some of those women were dying at the average age of 26 [G] because of the [A] dust in the weave rooms.
The average [D] age of 26.
Well, they struck.
[G] The issues were wages, hours, [D] and conditions, of [E] course.
Oh, Joe Ator, the [A] huge organizer, [D] who spoke all the [G] languages of [D] Lawrence.
There were about [G] 17 of them.
People could [D] hardly talk to each other.
But Joe Ator stood up in front of the Austin Mill on that stone stoop where I've [G] had a
chance to stand myself and [D] gazed out over 20,000 struck workers.
And he said in that huge voice, fellow workers, [G] the workers [D] with their hands in [E] their pockets
have more power than the combined power of [A] the bosses, besides which the bosses [D] can't
put their hands there.
[G] Well, Lawrence, [D] the strike was won.
Oh, a hard, hard, [G] bitter strike, though, all through [A] January.
There was [D] no way to feed the kids.
There's no food.
So they found sympathizers all over New England, as far south as New York.
And they sent the kids on the train [E] to wait the strike out.
And the mothers and the [A] children were beaten by the militia [D] and by the police on their
way to [A] the train station.
[G] [D] But they won.
And, you know, I never had to work underground [G] in Pennsylvania at [A] the age of 12 in a coal mine.
[D] My sister never had to work at the age of eight or nine at the looms [G] in Lawrence, [D] Massachusetts,
or anybody else.
[E] None of us have had to do those sorts of things.
And [A] why?
Why do we have [D] that eight-hour day?
Why [G] do we have those [D] mine safety laws?
Why do we have those laws busting the sweatshops?
Were they benevolent gifts from an enlightened management?
[G]
No.
They were fought [A] for, bled for, died [D] for by people a lot like us.
They died not on [G] the battlefield to fight [D] another dumb boss's war.
They died on the picket line to give all of us [A] a better future.
[C#] [D] Now there was a young woman [G] carrying a picket sign [D] during that strike.
And the sign said, We Want Bread, Yes, But Roses, Too.
[G]
So that [E] became known as the Bread and Roses Strike.
[D] And this is the song that came out of it.
Come marching, marching [G]
[D] [E] in kitchens by [Bm] [A] [D] [G]
the [D] beauty as sudden [D] sun discloses.
And the people hear us singing bread [G] [A]
and roses.
[D] Come marching, marching, [G] we battle through.
[D] For they are in this struggle and [B] [D] I shall not be sweated.
[G] From birth [D] until I'm close.
To serve as well as bodies, give us [G] bread, [A]
but give us [D] roses.
Come marching, marching, [G] a hundred million dead.
So [E] crying, thrashing, their [A] ancient pride for [D] bread.
Small heart and love and beauty, spirits new.
Yes, it's bread we fight for, but [G] we fight [A]
for roses.
[D] Come marching, [Bm] marching, make proud [D] and bold.
[E] The rising of the women and the rising.
[D] No more the trust, [G] [D]
but a sharing of life's glory.
[G] Bread and roses, bread [A] and roses, and bread [D] and
[N]
roses. Thank you.
Key:
D
G
A
E
B
D
G
A
_ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
[D] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ [B] _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ [D] _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ [B] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ Lawrence, Massachusetts, _ [G] 1912. _
[D] The story [E] I got from the oldest living wobbly, Minnie Quarter, [A] as a garment worker in New York City.
_ [D] _ _ [G] [D] 1912 was the time of the [G] great Lawrence textile [D] strike.
_ The huge mills, the huge looms had been built in Lawrence and [G] Lowell and other [E] cities all
over New England.
[D] And the young women came down from the failing farms of New Hampshire and [G] Vermont and Maine
to work in those new giant [E] mills.
All young women from the low [A] countries in Europe or from [D] France came over as contract
laborers, good enough to [G] sweat their lives out at the looms, [D] but not good enough to be citizens. _
Some of those women were dying at the average age of 26 [G] because of the [A] dust in the weave rooms.
The average [D] age of 26. _
Well, they struck.
_ [G] The issues were wages, hours, [D] and conditions, of [E] course.
_ Oh, Joe Ator, the [A] huge organizer, [D] who spoke all the [G] languages of [D] Lawrence.
There were about [G] 17 of them.
People could [D] hardly talk to each other.
But Joe Ator stood up in front of the Austin Mill on that stone stoop where I've [G] had a
chance to stand myself and [D] gazed out over 20,000 struck workers.
And he said in that huge voice, fellow workers, [G] the workers [D] with their hands in [E] their pockets
have more power than the combined power of [A] the bosses, besides which the bosses [D] can't
put their hands there. _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ Well, Lawrence, [D] the strike was won.
Oh, a hard, hard, [G] bitter strike, though, all through [A] January.
There was [D] no way to feed the kids.
There's no food.
So they found sympathizers all over New England, as far south as New York.
And they sent the kids on the train [E] to wait the strike out.
And the mothers and the [A] children were beaten by the militia [D] and by the police on their
way to [A] the train station.
[G] _ _ [D] But they won. _
And, you know, _ I never had to work underground [G] in Pennsylvania at [A] the age of 12 in a coal mine.
[D] My sister never had to work at the age of eight or nine at the looms [G] in Lawrence, [D] Massachusetts,
or anybody else.
[E] None of us have had to do those sorts of things.
And [A] why?
_ Why do we have [D] that eight-hour day?
Why [G] do we have those [D] mine safety laws?
Why do we have those laws busting the sweatshops?
Were they benevolent gifts from an enlightened management?
_ [G]
No.
They were fought [A] for, bled for, died [D] for by people a lot like us.
_ They died not on [G] the battlefield to fight [D] another dumb boss's war.
They died on the picket line to give all of us [A] a better future.
[C#] _ [D] Now there was a young woman _ [G] carrying a picket sign [D] during that strike.
And the sign said, We Want Bread, Yes, But Roses, Too.
[G]
So that [E] became known as the Bread and Roses Strike.
[D] And this is the song that came out of it. _ _ _ _ _
_ Come marching, marching _ [G] _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ [E] _ in kitchens by [Bm] _ _ [A] _ [D] _ _ [G]
the [D] beauty as sudden [D] sun discloses. _
And the people hear us singing bread [G] _ _ [A] _
and roses.
[D] _ _ Come marching, marching, [G] we battle through.
[D] _ For they are in this struggle and [B] _ _ _ [D] I shall not be sweated.
[G] From birth [D] until I'm close. _
To serve as well as bodies, give us [G] bread, [A]
but give us [D] roses.
_ _ Come marching, marching, [G] a hundred million dead.
So [E] crying, thrashing, their [A] ancient pride for [D] bread.
Small heart and love and beauty, _ spirits new.
Yes, it's bread we fight for, but [G] we fight [A]
for roses.
[D] _ _ _ Come marching, [Bm] marching, make proud [D] and bold.
[E] The rising of the women and the rising.
_ [D] No more the trust, [G] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
but a sharing of life's glory.
[G] Bread and roses, _ bread [A] and roses, and bread [D] and _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [N] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ roses. Thank you.
[D] _ _ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [A] _
_ [B] _ _ [D] _ _ _ [G] _ [D] _
_ _ [G] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ [G] _ _
_ [B] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _
_ Lawrence, Massachusetts, _ [G] 1912. _
[D] The story [E] I got from the oldest living wobbly, Minnie Quarter, [A] as a garment worker in New York City.
_ [D] _ _ [G] [D] 1912 was the time of the [G] great Lawrence textile [D] strike.
_ The huge mills, the huge looms had been built in Lawrence and [G] Lowell and other [E] cities all
over New England.
[D] And the young women came down from the failing farms of New Hampshire and [G] Vermont and Maine
to work in those new giant [E] mills.
All young women from the low [A] countries in Europe or from [D] France came over as contract
laborers, good enough to [G] sweat their lives out at the looms, [D] but not good enough to be citizens. _
Some of those women were dying at the average age of 26 [G] because of the [A] dust in the weave rooms.
The average [D] age of 26. _
Well, they struck.
_ [G] The issues were wages, hours, [D] and conditions, of [E] course.
_ Oh, Joe Ator, the [A] huge organizer, [D] who spoke all the [G] languages of [D] Lawrence.
There were about [G] 17 of them.
People could [D] hardly talk to each other.
But Joe Ator stood up in front of the Austin Mill on that stone stoop where I've [G] had a
chance to stand myself and [D] gazed out over 20,000 struck workers.
And he said in that huge voice, fellow workers, [G] the workers [D] with their hands in [E] their pockets
have more power than the combined power of [A] the bosses, besides which the bosses [D] can't
put their hands there. _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ Well, Lawrence, [D] the strike was won.
Oh, a hard, hard, [G] bitter strike, though, all through [A] January.
There was [D] no way to feed the kids.
There's no food.
So they found sympathizers all over New England, as far south as New York.
And they sent the kids on the train [E] to wait the strike out.
And the mothers and the [A] children were beaten by the militia [D] and by the police on their
way to [A] the train station.
[G] _ _ [D] But they won. _
And, you know, _ I never had to work underground [G] in Pennsylvania at [A] the age of 12 in a coal mine.
[D] My sister never had to work at the age of eight or nine at the looms [G] in Lawrence, [D] Massachusetts,
or anybody else.
[E] None of us have had to do those sorts of things.
And [A] why?
_ Why do we have [D] that eight-hour day?
Why [G] do we have those [D] mine safety laws?
Why do we have those laws busting the sweatshops?
Were they benevolent gifts from an enlightened management?
_ [G]
No.
They were fought [A] for, bled for, died [D] for by people a lot like us.
_ They died not on [G] the battlefield to fight [D] another dumb boss's war.
They died on the picket line to give all of us [A] a better future.
[C#] _ [D] Now there was a young woman _ [G] carrying a picket sign [D] during that strike.
And the sign said, We Want Bread, Yes, But Roses, Too.
[G]
So that [E] became known as the Bread and Roses Strike.
[D] And this is the song that came out of it. _ _ _ _ _
_ Come marching, marching _ [G] _ _
[D] _ _ _ _ _ [E] _ in kitchens by [Bm] _ _ [A] _ [D] _ _ [G]
the [D] beauty as sudden [D] sun discloses. _
And the people hear us singing bread [G] _ _ [A] _
and roses.
[D] _ _ Come marching, marching, [G] we battle through.
[D] _ For they are in this struggle and [B] _ _ _ [D] I shall not be sweated.
[G] From birth [D] until I'm close. _
To serve as well as bodies, give us [G] bread, [A]
but give us [D] roses.
_ _ Come marching, marching, [G] a hundred million dead.
So [E] crying, thrashing, their [A] ancient pride for [D] bread.
Small heart and love and beauty, _ spirits new.
Yes, it's bread we fight for, but [G] we fight [A]
for roses.
[D] _ _ _ Come marching, [Bm] marching, make proud [D] and bold.
[E] The rising of the women and the rising.
_ [D] No more the trust, [G] _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
but a sharing of life's glory.
[G] Bread and roses, _ bread [A] and roses, and bread [D] and _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ [N] _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ roses. Thank you.