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Off Topic » in reply to Bread and Roses

lyrics

The song is a 1912 poem by James Oppenheimer, and when I couldn't find the poem at first, I looked for lyrics to the song. And every example I found was wrong in the same way--all copied from the same source, apparently. Finally I found the Chawed Rosin blog, a page with both the text of the poem and a recording of the song, and it turns out that Judy Collins was perfectly true to the poem. Here's the poem.

As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray,
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
For the people hear us singing: “Bread and roses! Bread and roses!”

As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For they are women’s children, and we mother them again.
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses!


As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for — but we fight for roses, too!

As we come marching, marching, we bring the greater days.
The rising of the women means the rising of the race.
No more the drudge and idler — ten that toil where one reposes,
But a sharing of life’s glories: Bread and roses! Bread and roses!

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