General Strike Verse

(From the St Pancras Bulletin, May 5-10 1926)

A is for ALL, ALL OUT and ALL WIN,

And down with the blacklegs and scabs who stay in.

B is for Baldwin, the Bosses’ Strong Man,

But he’s welcome to dig all the coal that he can

C is for Courage the workers have shown,

Class Conscious and Confident that they’ll hold their own.

D is for DOPE that the Government spread—

Dishwash for Duncos and Dubbs—“nuff sed”.

E is for Energy that will carry us through,

Everyone class-conscious, steadfast and true.

F is for Fight, our fight to the end,

For we’re solid together, not an inch will we bend.

G is for Grab-all, the bosses, you know,

Greedy and grasping, one day they must go.

H is for Hardship, we all must endure;

However, keep smiling, for Victory is sure.

I is for Interest, Profits and Rend

Into the pockets of the Indolent.

J is for Jix*, the stirrer of strife,

Just waiting the chance to have your life.

K is for knife that is wielded by Jix,

Keep yourself orderly and frustrate his tricks.

L is for London, where the TUC meet,

Leading the workers the bosses to beat.

M is for miners, for whose rights we must fight,

Maintaining the cause which we know to be right.

N is for Natsopa, who stopped dope from the Boss,

Narking Churchill and Jix, so Baldwin was cross.

O is for OMS, the scabbing patrol;

Oh! How they are working, digging the coal!!

P is for pickets on guard at the gates,

Pulling up blacklegs who scab on their mates.

Q is for Quandary the Government’s in,

Quite certain now the workers will win.

R is for Railways that won’t run alone,

Ready for workers to run as their own.

S is for Solidarity that is winning our fight;

Stick well together, for Victory’s in sight.

T is for Taximen joined in the fray,

Troubling the blacklegs to walk all the way.

U is for Unity, each one for all,

United we stand till the Government fall.

V is for Victory, of which we are sure,

Vanquishing the bosses for evermore.

W is for Workers’ Wages and hours,

We are nearing the day when control is ours.

X is for exit the whole boss class—

Xtra enjoyment for me and my lass.

Y is for Young Workers to whom fighting is new;

Yes, Young, but determined to fight with you.

Z is for Zeal shown by the Vigilance Corps,

Zealous that workers aren’t trapped by the law.

* Jix is a play on Joynson-Hicks the Home Secretary.