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about

We took the liberty of changing the ending and appending a verse and an alternate chorus that is promising socialist redemption.

The song is a parodic adaptation of the hymn "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys Are Marching," which was sung on both sides of the front during the U.S. Civil War (1861-65).

Imagine Charlie Chaplin and his adventures! (He too was once a communist...)

lyrics

lf you all will shut your trap,
I will tell you 'bout a chap,
That was broke and up against it too, for fair;
He was not the kind to shirk,
He was looking hard for work,
But he heard the same old story everywhere.

CHORUS:
Tramp, tramp, tramp, keep on a-tramping,
Nothing doing here for you;
If I catch you 'round again,
You will wear the ball and chain,
Keep on tramping, that's the best thing you can do.

He walked up and down the street,
Till the shoes fell offRef. his feet.
In a house he spied a lady cooking stew,
And he said, "How do you do,
May I chop some wood for you?"
What the lady told him made him feel so blue.

'Cross the street a sign he read,
"Work for Jesus" so it said,
And he said, "Here is my chance, I'll surely try,"
And he kneeled upon the floor,
Till his knees got rather sore,
But at eating-time he heard the preacher cry…

Down the street he met a cop,
And the copper made him stop,
And he asked him, "When did you blow into town?
Come with me up to the judge,"
But the judge he said, "Oh fudge,
Bums that have no money needn't come around."

Finally came that happy day
When his life did pass away,
He was sure he'd go to heaven when he died,
When he reached the pearly gate,
Santa Peter, mean old skate,
Slammed the gate right in his face and loudly cried:

The last instance said farewell
So all he could do was go to hell
on the last track he saw black train rolling on slow
The fireman was Joe Hill
The engineer was Big Bill
The red flag fluttering at the bow

(They sang:)
Tramp tramp tramp end your wanderings
Get in! here you are right
We will never slave again
with our muscles, guts und brains
For a new and better world we fight

credits

from Freibier und Pastete (Pie in the sky), released August 18, 2022
Tune: “Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! The boys are marching” (by George F. Root, 1860s). First published in the 1913 edition of the IWW’s Little Red Songbook, Last verse by Elmar Wigand, 2022

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The Overall Brigade Cologne, Germany

Countrybilly. Hobo. Folk-Punk & a spoonful of Blues

Handmade Music from Cologne & Berlin by red-blooded working class bindle-stiffs.

Accordeon, banjolele, ukulele, lap slide guitar, sometimes a trumpet, drums & vocals. ... more

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