We're a' met thegither here tae sit an' tae crack,
Wi' oor glesses in oor hands an' oor wark upon oor back;
For there's nae a trade amang them a' can either mend or mak',
Gin it qasna for the wark o' the weavers.
If it wasna for the weavers what wad they do?
They wadna hae claith made oot o' oor woo';
They wadna hae a coat, neither black nor blue,
Gin it wasna for the wark o' the weavers.
There's some folk independent o' ither tradesmen's wark,
For women need nae barber an' dyker's need nae clerk;
But there's no ane o' them but needs a coat an' a sark,
No, they canna want the wark o' the weavers.
If it wasna for the weavers what wad they do?
They wadna hae claith made oot o' oor woo';
They wadna hae a coat, neither black nor blue,
Gin it wasna for the wark o' the weavers.
There's smiths an' there's wrights and there's mason chiels an' a',
There's doctors an' there's meenisters an' them that live by law,
An' oor freens that bide oot ower the sea in Sooth America,
An' they a' need the wark o' the weavers.
If it wasna for the weavers what wad they do?
They wadna hae claith made oot o' oor woo';
They wadna hae a coat, neither black nor blue,
Gin it wasna for the wark o' the weavers.
Oor sodgers an' oor sailors, oh, we mak' them a' bauld,
For gin they hadna claes, faith, they couldna fecht for cauld;
The high an' low, the rich an' puir - a'body young an' auld,
They a' need the wark o' the weavers.
If it wasna for the weavers what wad they do?
They wadna hae claith made oot o' oor woo';
They wadna hae a coat, neither black nor blue,
Gin it wasna for the wark o' the weavers.
So the weavin' is a trade that never can fail,
Sae lang's we need ae cloot tae haud anither hale,
Sae let us a' be merry ower a bicker o' guid ale.
An' drink tae the health o' the weavers.
Wi' oor glesses in oor hands an' oor wark upon oor back;
For there's nae a trade amang them a' can either mend or mak',
Gin it qasna for the wark o' the weavers.
If it wasna for the weavers what wad they do?
They wadna hae claith made oot o' oor woo';
They wadna hae a coat, neither black nor blue,
Gin it wasna for the wark o' the weavers.
There's some folk independent o' ither tradesmen's wark,
For women need nae barber an' dyker's need nae clerk;
But there's no ane o' them but needs a coat an' a sark,
No, they canna want the wark o' the weavers.
If it wasna for the weavers what wad they do?
They wadna hae claith made oot o' oor woo';
They wadna hae a coat, neither black nor blue,
Gin it wasna for the wark o' the weavers.
There's smiths an' there's wrights and there's mason chiels an' a',
There's doctors an' there's meenisters an' them that live by law,
An' oor freens that bide oot ower the sea in Sooth America,
An' they a' need the wark o' the weavers.
If it wasna for the weavers what wad they do?
They wadna hae claith made oot o' oor woo';
They wadna hae a coat, neither black nor blue,
Gin it wasna for the wark o' the weavers.
Oor sodgers an' oor sailors, oh, we mak' them a' bauld,
For gin they hadna claes, faith, they couldna fecht for cauld;
The high an' low, the rich an' puir - a'body young an' auld,
They a' need the wark o' the weavers.
If it wasna for the weavers what wad they do?
They wadna hae claith made oot o' oor woo';
They wadna hae a coat, neither black nor blue,
Gin it wasna for the wark o' the weavers.
So the weavin' is a trade that never can fail,
Sae lang's we need ae cloot tae haud anither hale,
Sae let us a' be merry ower a bicker o' guid ale.
An' drink tae the health o' the weavers.
Contributed by Bernart - 2013/7/24 - 15:11
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Più che uno sciopero fu proprio un’insurrezione in nome della fine dello sfruttamento e per l’eguaglianza dei diritti, insomma una protesta armata ispirata ai valori della Rivoluzione francese. Nei primi giorni di aprile del 1820 si verificarono parecchi scontri tra manifestanti ed esercito e polizia. Le forze della repressione ebbero la meglio, la “Radical War” fu sedata e quasi tutti i leader della rivolta furono arrestati.
James Wilson, Andrew Hardie e John Baird, tutti operai tessili, furono giustiziati, impiccati e quindi decapitati (per sicurezza!). Decine di altri rivoltosi furono spediti nei bagni penali australiani…
La prima incisione di questa canzone è forse da attibuirsi a Ewan MacColl nel suo disco intitolato “Shuttle and Cage” pubblicato nel 1957.