Union Songs

Touch One Touch All

A song by Ken Stewart©2002 Ken Stewart

Hold down the line boys!
Hold down the line girls!
Hold down the line boys!
Hold down the line!

Union makes us strong!
Union makes us strong!
Union makes us strong!
Union makes us strong!

Touch one, touch all, united we stand, divided we fall
Touch one, touch all, united we stand, divided we fall

Stand by me, I'll stand by you
Defiant, determined, to seek out the truth.
Shore up the picket, sisters and brothers
Join in the union there's strength in our numbers

Touch one, touch all, united we stand, divided we fall
Touch one, touch all, united we stand, divided we fall

You get what you fight for. You fight for what you need
Only together can we stop the greed
Looking out for the poor, caring for the needy
The workers united will never be defeated

Touch one, touch all, united we stand, divided we fall
Touch one, touch all, united we stand, divided we fall

Fight for your rights, there's no other way
Come one, come all, come seize the day!
Fight for what's right in one voice that speaks
Of freedom, of justice, democracy

Touch one, touch all, united we stand, divided we fall
Touch one, touch all, united we stand, divided we fall

Hold down the line boys!
Hold down the line girls!
Hold down the line boys!
Hold down the line!

Notes

Many thanks to Ken Stewart, and his group Urban Guerillas, for permission to include this song in the Union Songs collection. Touch One, Touch All was one of the six finalists in the 2002 Wobbly Radio song competition in Australia.

Ken writes:
"I saw a CFMEU worker standing at a bus stop one morning with an old t-shirt with 'Touch one, touch all" emblazoned across it and the chorus immediately came to me in an almost pop sense of melody. I worked with Anthony Waugh (Urban Guerillas bass player) on structuring a verse. We already had some ideas as we were writing a specific May Day song that we will finish one day.

For those of us that have been on strike, and on picket lines there is a sense of exhilaration at what can be achieved. This feeling can turn to desperation in a protracted dispute and then a different strength, one of comradery comes out as the unity and the union support each individual. The Urban Guerillas have played on many picket lines for many unions that have had to endure long disputes to help re-fuel sagging spirits."

Check the Urban Guerrillas web site at http://www.urbanguerillas.com/ for CDs and more information

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union songs..........a selection by mark gregory