Joe Glazer

The Commonwealth Of Toil

Joe Glazer


In the gloom of mighty cities
Mid the roar of whirling wheels
We are toiling on like chattel slaves of old
And our masters hope to keep us
Ever thus beneath their heels
And to coin our very life blood into gold‎

But we have a glowing dream
Of how fair the world will seem
When each man can live his life secure and free
When the earth is owned by labor
And there's joy and peace for all
In the commonwealth of toil that is to be

They would keep us cowed and beaten
Cringing meekly at their feet
They would stand between each worker and his bread
Shall we yield our lives up to them
For the bitter crust we eat?
Shall we only hope for heaven when we're dead? ‎

But we have a glowing dream
Of how fair the world will seem
When each man can live his life secure and free
When the earth is owned by labor
And there's joy and peace for all
In the commonwealth of toil that is to be

They have laid our lives out for us
To the utter end of time
Shall we stagger on beneath their heavy load?
Shall we let them live forever
In their gilded halls of crime
With our children doomed to toil beneath their goad? ‎

But we have a glowing dream
Of how fair the world will seem
When each man can live his life secure and free
When the earth is owned by labor
And there's joy and peace for all
In the commonwealth of toil that is to be

When our cause is all triumphant
And we claim our Mother Earth
And the nightmare of the present fades away
We shall live with love and laughter
We who now are little worth
And we'll not regret the price we have to pay‎

Na escuridão das poderosas cidades
No meio do rugido das rodas giratórias
Estamos trabalhando como escravos antigos
E nossos mestres esperam nos manter
Sempre assim sob seus calcanhares
E cunhar nossa própria vida em ouro

Mas nós temos um sonho brilhante
De quão justo o mundo parecerá
Quando cada homem pode viver sua vida seguro e livre
Quando a terra pertencer ao trabalho
E houver alegria e paz para todos
Na Comunidade do Trabalho que virá

Eles nos manteriam intimidados e espancados
Encolhendo-se humildemente a seus pés
Eles ficavam entre cada trabalhador e seu pão
Devemos entregar nossas vidas a eles
Pela crosta amarga que comemos?
Devemos apenas esperar pelo céu quando estivermos mortos?

Eles definiram nossas vidas para nós
Até o fim dos tempos
Devemos cambalear sob sua carga pesada?
Vamos deixá-los viver para sempre
Nos seus salões dourados do crime
Com nossos filhos fadados a trabalhar sob o aguilhão?

Quando nossa causa for triunfante
E reivindicarmos nossa Mãe Terra
E o pesadelo do presente desaparecer
Vamos viver com amor e riso
Nós que agora valemos pouco
E não vamos nos arrepender do preço que temos que pagar