Union Songs

Down Workers Go Down

A Song by Ian Macintosh©Ian Macintosh 2006

Have you heard the bosses call?
Down workers down,
Have you heard the bosses call?
Go down workers go down
If you've heard the bosses call
Part-time work or none at all,
Families going to the walll
Go down workers go down

Do y' know what makes the bosses pleased?
Down workers down,
Do y' know what makes the bosses pleased?
Go down workers go down
You know what makes the bosses pleased,
Workers begging on their knees,
Business moving overseas
Go down workers go down

Chorus:
Go down workers go down,
Go down workers go down,
(penultimate line of each verse)
Go down workers go down

Have you heard the bosses prayer?
Down workers down,
Have you heard the bosses prayer?
Go down workers go down
If you ‘ve heard the bosses prayer
Low paid workers everywhere
Hire and fire without a care
Go down workers go down

Have you seen he bosses pay?
Down workers down, (Rpt)
Have you seen the bosses pay
Go down workers go down
If you've seen the bosses pay
It goets bigger every day
They take the cash and run away
Go down workers go down.

Have you heard the bosses lies?
Down workers down, (Rpt)
Have you heard the bosses lies
Go down workers go down
You have heard the bosses lies
Unions have been crim'nalized,
Prosecutions on the rise
Go down workers go down.

Break (Twice through)Chorus

Have you signed the contract yet?
Down workers down, (Rpt)
Have you signed the contract yet
Go down workers go down
If you've signed the contract yet
You'll be sink further into debt
You've slipped through the safety net
Go down workers go down

Have you seen the future friend?
Down workers down, (Rpt
Have you seen the future friend?
Go down workers go down)
If you've seen the future friend
There's no conditions to defend
Fight them to the bitter end

Go down workers go down
Go down workers go down,
Go down workers go down,
(last line of each verse)
Go down workers go down

Repeat

Notes

Many thanks to Ian Macintosh for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection.

Ian writes:
"The song really wrote itself after reading about yet another massive CEO payout from one of the major corporations, the latest being the CEO of Macquarie Bank receiving a $33 million dollar bonus. At the same time the conservative Howard government enables more and more bosses to strip away working people's hard fought for rights and claims a $25 dollar a week payout for the lowest paid would be detrimental to the economy. I asked myself, just what would Ewan MacColl say about this if he still around? Written and recorded in a matter of hours - the take on the album is raw and the only take."

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