Well I’ve been working here for fifteen years
and I’ve seen some changes come
I’ve seen some Okies called Californians
I’ve seen some poets called bums
I’ve seen people working for safety
there must be a reason why
Maybe we just come to work here
We don’t come to die.
Cause if it’s always level on the floor where you’re working
and your telephone is OSHA approved
When you tell me how much you’re spending on safety
pardon me if I’m not moved
Ever since 1970 the law has been on my side
And I just come to work here, I don’t come to die.
I would like to end up with all of my fingers
I don’t want my brain to get numb
I would like to have my ears when retirement nears
I wanna hear that applause come
And I’d like to see my grand-children...
Be able to pick them up when they cry
That’s why I just come to work here, I don’t come to die.
Cause if it’s always level on the floor where you’re working
and your telephone is OSHA approved
When you tell me how much you’re spending on safety
pardon me if I’m not moved
Ever since 1970 the law has been on my side
And I just come to work here, I don’t come to die.
Now I’ll be the pitcher, and you can be the batter
you know that’s just the old ball game
But when the line starts popping and that load starts dropping
our situations not he same
And I’m not saying that you don’t care...
I’m not saying that you don’t try
I’m saying we just come to work here…
We don’t come to die.
Cause if it’s always level on the floor where you’re working
and your telephone is OSHA approved
When you tell me how much you’re spending on safety
pardon me if I’m not moved
Ever since 1970 the law has been on my side
And I just come to work here, I don’t come to die.
Now you and I know that the things that aren’t code
could be fixed with relative ease
But we never did get anything by asking on our knees
So now we’re looking you straight in the eye
Shoulder to shoulder and side by side
We’re saying we just come to work here…
we don’t come to die
We’re saying we just come to work here, MISTER!
We don’t come to die.
and I’ve seen some changes come
I’ve seen some Okies called Californians
I’ve seen some poets called bums
I’ve seen people working for safety
there must be a reason why
Maybe we just come to work here
We don’t come to die.
Cause if it’s always level on the floor where you’re working
and your telephone is OSHA approved
When you tell me how much you’re spending on safety
pardon me if I’m not moved
Ever since 1970 the law has been on my side
And I just come to work here, I don’t come to die.
I would like to end up with all of my fingers
I don’t want my brain to get numb
I would like to have my ears when retirement nears
I wanna hear that applause come
And I’d like to see my grand-children...
Be able to pick them up when they cry
That’s why I just come to work here, I don’t come to die.
Cause if it’s always level on the floor where you’re working
and your telephone is OSHA approved
When you tell me how much you’re spending on safety
pardon me if I’m not moved
Ever since 1970 the law has been on my side
And I just come to work here, I don’t come to die.
Now I’ll be the pitcher, and you can be the batter
you know that’s just the old ball game
But when the line starts popping and that load starts dropping
our situations not he same
And I’m not saying that you don’t care...
I’m not saying that you don’t try
I’m saying we just come to work here…
We don’t come to die.
Cause if it’s always level on the floor where you’re working
and your telephone is OSHA approved
When you tell me how much you’re spending on safety
pardon me if I’m not moved
Ever since 1970 the law has been on my side
And I just come to work here, I don’t come to die.
Now you and I know that the things that aren’t code
could be fixed with relative ease
But we never did get anything by asking on our knees
So now we’re looking you straight in the eye
Shoulder to shoulder and side by side
We’re saying we just come to work here…
we don’t come to die
We’re saying we just come to work here, MISTER!
We don’t come to die.
Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2015/4/24 - 14:16
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Nella raccolta “Classic Labor Songs” pubblicata dalla Smithsonian Folkways nel 2006.
Harry Stamper scrisse questa canzone quando un giorno la compagnia per la quale lavorava gli ordinò di muovere una gran pila di tronchi senza che vi fossero le necessarie condizioni di sicurezza. Lui si rifiutò e fu licenziato. Fece causa, il giudice gli diede ragione e fu reintegrato e risarcito.
“OSHA”, nel ritornello, è l’acronimo dell’“Occupational Safety and Health Administration”, l’agenzia federale statunitense che vigila sulla sicurezza e salute sui posti di lavoro.