Which Side Are You On?

No doubting this guy's allegiance. Spotted on his Twitter feed that he was going to be at St Andrew's Square this lunchtime to show his support for the protest so headed down with camera to get a few images. Interesting chat before he arrived with a Napier photography student who has been covering the protest for a couple of weeks now, mostly at night, but thought Billy Bragg's visit to the camp was worth being there for.
Billy did four songs - Leon Rosselson's The World Turned Upside Down, the 1930s union protest song, Which Side Are You On, with some newly-penned lyrics and his own version of There is Power in a Union before leading the crowd in the left-wing anthem The Internationale.

The World Turned Upside Down
In 1649
To St. George's Hill,
A ragged band they called the Diggers
Came to show the people's will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs

We come in peace they said
To dig and sow
We come to work the lands in common
And to make the waste ground grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it will be
A common treasury for all

The sin of property
We do disdain
No man has any right to buy and sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Spring up at their command

They make the laws
To chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven
Or they damn us into hell
We will not worship
The God they serve
The God of greed who feed the rich
While poor folk starve

We work we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow to the masters
Or pay rent to the lords
Still we are free
Though we are poor
You Diggers all stand up for glory
Stand up now

From the men of property
The orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers
To wipe out the Diggers' claim
Tear down their cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed
But still the vision lingers on

You poor take courage
You rich take care
This earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
All people one
We come in peace
The orders came to cut them down

Comments
Sign in or get an account to comment.