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about

I wrote this song as an answer song to the traditional song "Miner's Life", which my Father used to sing to me and my siblings as a child. My brother wound up recording this song with his band Disciples of Agriculture. I'm not sure how "pro union" my Dad was, however, he was a active member of the NYS teacher's Union. During my 20 plus years professional life, I had experience in dealing with unions and my perception of their actual protecting the worker came into question. In my own experience, I found the the management of the unions were really only out for themselves and the organizations' survival, more so than the individual union member. Real examples, were stagnant wages for over 15 years, with no increases in take home wage, but union management strong arming companies who employed the union member to pay ever increasing "benefits" to the union in general. Then I would watch the union use every trick in the book to not payout health or retirement benefits, in order to preserve the coffers, which they manipulated to their own benefit. I decided to write an answer song to "Miner's Life", using the same melody and pattern. Probably one of the very few anti-union songs ever written...

lyrics

We all read, sinclair’s jungle - and steinbeck’s grapes of wrath
Too much work, too little pay - headed down the wrong path
Gave the working man his fight - that’s why woody sang his songs
Too far left, abuse of power turned a right into a wrong

Not about, the worker no more - served a purpose years ago
Now it’s just about the coffers - a bloated, black hole
Slit their throats, with their demands - don’t agree, then you don’t belong
Too far left, abuse of power turned a right into a wrong

(bridge)
Now the tables have turned - the unions now are strong
Too far left, abuse of power - turned a right into a wrong

Union bigs, sit back and relax - wake up soon or you will learn
All the jobs have left this country - now how are you gonna earn?
No sense in voting to make a change - mess with them and you are gone
Too far left, abuse of power, turned a right into a wrong

Solo

Too far left, abuse of power, turned a right into a wrong
Turned a right into a wrong
Turned a right into a wrong

credits

from Are We Rolling?, released April 6, 2013

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Esquela Bovina Center, New York

Esquela was formed in 2008 by John "Chico" Finn and Keith Christopher. Together they wrote songs for their debut album, "The Owl Has Landed". Over the course of the next decade, Esquela has recorded five studio albums. Over the course of the next few months, Esquela will be releasing its back catalog on Bandcamp, building up to a June 25th release of their latest album, "A Sign From God". ... more

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