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that it was the American Labor Movement that invented the International Workers Day in Chicago 1886 in the struggle for the 8 hour day. Here is the song they sang as they marched that day: We mean to make things over, we are tired of toil for naught, With but bare enough to live upon, and never an hour for thought; We want to feel the sunshine, and we want to smell the flowers, We are sure that God has will'd it, and we mean to have eight hours. We're summoning our forces from the shipyard, shop and mill,
Chorus Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will! Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will!
The beasts that graze the hillside, and the birds that wander free, In the life that God has meted have a better lot than we. Oh! hands and hearts are weary, and homes are heavy with dole; If our life's to be filled with drudgery, what need of a human soul! Shout, shout the lusty rally from the shipyard, shop and mill,
Chorus
The voice of God within us is calling us to stand Erect, as is becoming to the work of his right hand, Should he, to whom the Maker his glorious image gave, The meanest of his creatures crouch, a bread and butter slave! Let the shout ring down the valleys and echo from ev'ry hill,
Chorus
Ye deem they're feeble voices that are raised in Labor's cause? But bethink ye of the torrent, and the wild tornado's laws! We say not Toil's uprising in terror's shape will come, Yet the world were wise to listen to the monitory hum, Soon, soon the deep-toned rally shall all the nations thrill,
Chorus
From factories and workshops, in long and weary lines, From all the sweltering forges, and from out the sunless mines, Wherever toil is wasting the force of life to live, There the bent and battered armies come to claim what God doth give, And the blazon on their banner doth with hope the nations fill,
Chorus
Hurrah, hurrah, for Labor! for it shall arise in might; It has filled the world with plenty, it shall fill the world with light; Hurrah, hurrah, for Labor! it is mustering all its powers, And shall march along to victory with the banner of Eight Hours! Shout, shout the echoing rally till all the welkin thrill,
~~~~~~~~~ Let's remember that today American Workers are struggling to survive on part time work or being forced to work long hours without proper compensation. The early Labor struggles brought us a long way, but we have lost so much ground in our lifetimes.
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