“This What the Union Done”

The Story of the United Mine Workers of America in Song

by "Uncle" George Jones

In nineteen hundred an' thirty-three,

When Mr. Roosevelt took his seat,

He said to President John L. Lewis,"In union we must be.

Come, let us work together,

Ask God to lead the plan,

By this time another year

We’ll have the union back again."

Chorus:

Hooray! Hooray!

For the union we must stan',

It’s the only organization

Protect the laborin' man.

Boys, it makes the women happy,

Our children clap their hands,

To see the beefsteak an' the good po’k chops,

Steamin‘ in those fryin’ pans.

When the President and John L. Lewis,

Had signed their decree,

They called for Mitch an' Raney—

Dalrymple make it three: "Go down in Alabama,

Organize ev’ry laborin' man,

Spread the news all over the lan':

We got the union back again!"

There’s one law [of] President Roosevelt,

That made the operators mad:

Gave all the men the right to organize,

Join the union of their choice.

When the President had passed this law,

We all did shout for joy,

When he said no operator, sheriff, or boss,

Shouldn’t bother the union boys.

In nineteen hundred an' thirty-two

We was sometimes sad an' blue,

Traveling round from place to place,

Trying to find some work to do.

If we’re successful to find a job,

The wages was so small,

We could scarcely live in the summertime—

Almost starved in the fall.

Befo' we got our union back,

It’s very sad to say,

Old blue shirts and overalls,

Were the topic of the day.

They was so full of patches,

An' so badly torn,

Our wives had to sew for 'bout a hour,

Befo' they could be worn.

Now when our union men walks out,

Got the good clothes on their backs,

Crepe de chine and the fine silk shirts,

And bran' new Miller block hats;

Fine silk socks an' the Florsheim shoes,

They’re glitterin‘ ’gainst the sun,

Got dollars in their pockets, smokin' good cigars—

Boys, this what the union done.

Befo' we got our union back,

Our wives was always mad,

When they went out to church,

A print dress was all they had.

But since we got our union back,

They’re happier all the while,

Silk en' satin of ev’ry kind,

To meet with ev’ry style.

Source: Uncle George Jones, “This Is What the Union Done,”Sung by Uncle George Jones, recorded 1940 by George Korson and available on Songs and Ballads of the Bituminous Miners, (AFS L60). Courtesy of American Folklife Center, Library of Congress.