Lyrics by BVOCAL! Boston Voices of Community and Labor, bvocalchorus.org
Use them to give you ideas for verses that apply to your own campaign.
WE SHALL NOT BE RULED
To the tune of We Shall Not Be Moved; based on the African-American spiritual I Shall Not Be Moved; adaptation of lyrics inspired by Mark Levy
We shall not, we shall not be ruled (2x)
Just like a free people standing united,
We shall not be ruled.
Donald Trump is not a king, we shall not be ruled….
Down with profit, up with people….
Protecting our democracy, we shall not be ruled...
HOSTILE GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER
By L. Gallatin
Refrain:
It’s a takeover,
It’s a take, takeover,
A hostile government takeover.
Due process rights are under attack.
What do we do? Stand up, fight back!
The constitution’s under attack…
When immigrant rights are under attack…
When voting rights are under attack…
ROLL THE MOVEMENT ON
To the tune of Roll the Union On by John Handcox, organizer for the Southern Tenant Farmers Union
We’re gonna roll, we’re gonna roll, we’re gonna roll the movement on (2x)
We’re gonna roll it on for freedom and to save democracy…
We’re gonna roll it for the rights that every immigrant deserves…
And if [ ] is in the way we’re gonna roll right over him/it…
FIRST AMENDMENT
By L. Gallatin
Part I:
Nobody gonna hold us back,
No bully gonna knock us down,
No fear gonna silence us,
No order gonna shut us up.
Part II:
Keep it free, keep it free, keep it free,
Freedom of speech.
Freedom of the press.
Freedom to assemble.
Freedom to petition.
Freedom of religion.
RISE UP
By Charon Hribar and Jose Vasquez (Poor People’s Campaign)
Rise up we’re gonna rise up,
Rise up we’re gonna rise up.
We ain’t gonna let nobody turn us around,
Because the people united will stand our ground.
Every human deserves to be safe
In the land of the free and the home of the brave.
The military doesn’t belong in our streets,
We have the right to assemble and we won’t retreat.
We say no to ruling by fear,
Refugees and immigrants are welcome here.
It’s not enough to barely survive,
We believe in a world where everybody can thrive.
Make the big polluters pay:
It’s time that they clean up the mess that they made.
Corporate welfare’s got to go
No tax evasion, bring the revenue home.
We say no to hate and greed,
We say tax the rich and give to those in need.
Red, blue, young, old, white, or black
Together we’re gonna take our country back!
THAT’S AMERICA (call and response)
By L. Gallatin
It’s not about who’s in or out,
Race, religion, code, or creed
All for one and one for all.
That’s how
America should be.
It’s not about where you were born,
Citizen versus refugee.
It’s about our common dreams.
That’s how America should be.
It’s not about cis versus trans,
Them or they or he or she.
It’s liberty, of thee I sing.
That’s how America should be.
It’s not just about the floods or fires,
Rising temps or rising seas.
It’s about sustaining life.
That’s how America should be.
Pay the rent or pay the bills,
Healthcare versus whether you eat.
It’s about the right to thrive.
That’s how America should be.
It’s not about blue versus red,
Young or old or white or black.
It’s billionaires against all of us.
It’s time
To take our country back.
SOLO EL PUEBLO SALVA EL PUEBLO
By the Peace Poets
Solo el pueblo salva el pueblo,
And if one of us falls, we all rise up.
Only the people can save the people.
WE ARE THE MOVEMENT
By the Peace Poets
We are the movement,
Liberation moving,
For every single human
We have come to win/love/etc.
NEW UNSETTLING FORCE
By Charon Hribar, Jonathan Lykes, and Steff Reed
We’re a new unsettling force,
And we are powerful,
A new unsettling force,
And we’re here.
We’re a new unsettling force
For liberation,
And we’ve got nothing to lose but our chains,
And we’ve got nothing to lose but our chains.
THE PROTECTORS (RESISTERS)
By the Peace Poets
Part I:
Rising with the mountain tops,
Flowing with the oceans,
We are the resisters,
Our spirits have awoken.
Part II:
We are the resisters, we are
We are the resisters.
By L. Gallatin
