Friday Tunes: Bread and Roses

This week’s installment of labour themes in popular culture is the song Bread and Roses. The song has it origins in the early part of the 20th century and is most often associated with the 1912 textile strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts. This strike was largely led by women and the lyrics speak to the need for both fair wages and dignified conditions of work and life.

Our days shall not be sweated from birth until life closes,
Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread, but give us roses

The video below is from the movie Pride, which documents the support of British LBGT activists of coal miners during the 1984 strike. Pride is one of two movies about the coal strike the Alberta Labour History Institute is screening (for free!) on February 5 (7 pm show time) at the Garneau Theatre.



As we go 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 in the struggle and together we shall win.
Our days 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, un-numbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient call for bread,
Small art and love and beauty their trudging spirits knew
Yes, it is bread we. fight for, but we fight for roses, too.

As we go marching, marching, we're standing proud and tall.
The rising of the women means the rising of us all.
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.

-- Bob Barnetson