Tom: A
A C D A
A C D A
[verse 1]
A C D A C A
Come you ranks of labor, come you union core
A C D A C A
And see if you remember the struggles of before
A F#m D E E7
When you were standing helpless on the outside of the door
Bm E E7 A F#m
And you started building links on the chain, on the chain,
Bm E E7 A
And you started building links on the chain.
[verse 2]
A C D A C A
When the police on the horses were waitin' on demand
A C D A C A
Ridin' through the strike with a pistol in their hand
A F#m D E E7
Swingin' at the skulls of many a union man
Bm E E7 A F#m
As you built one more link on the chain, on the chain,
Bm E E7 A
As you built one more link on the chain.
[verse 3]
A C D A C A
Then the army of the fascists tried to put you on the run
A C D A C A
But the army of the union, they did what could be done
A F#m D E E7
Oh, the power of the factory was greater than the gun
Bm E E7 A F#m
As you built one more link on the chain, on the chain
Bm E E7 A
As you built one more link on the chain.
[verse 4]
A C D A C A
And then in 1954, decisions finally made
A C D A C A
Oh, the black man was a-risin' fast, racin' from the shade
A F#m D E E7
And your union took no stand and your union was betrayed
Bm E E7 A F#m
As you lost yourself a link on the chain, on the chain
Bm E E7 A
As you lost yourslef a link on the chain.
[verse 5]
A C D A C A
And then there came the boycotts and then the freedom rides
A C D A C A
And forgetting what you stood for, you tried to block the tide
A F#m D E E7
Oh, the automation bosses werre laughin' on the side
Bm E E7 A F#m
As they watched you lose your link on the chain, on the chain
Bm E E7 A
As they watched you lose your link on the chain.
[verse 6]
A C D A C A
You know when they block your trucks boys, by layin' on the road
A C D A C A
All that they are doin' is all that you have showed
A F#m D E E7
That you gotta strike, you gotta fight to get what you are owed
Bm E E7 A F#m
When you're building all your links on the chain, on the chain
Bm E E7 A
When you're building all your links on the chain..
[verse 7]
A C D A C A
Amd the man who tries to tell you that they'll take your job away
A C D A C A
He's the same man who was scabbin' hard just the other day
F#m D E
And your union's not a union till he's thrown out of the way
Bm E E7 A F#m
And he's chokin' on your links of the chain, of the chain
Bm E E7 A
And he's chokin' on your links of the chain.
[verse 8]
A C D A C A
For now the times are tellin' you the times are rollin' on
A C D A C A
And you're fighting for the same thing, the jobs that will be gone
A F#m D E E7
Now it's only fair to ask you boys, which side are you on?
Bm E E7 A F#m
As you're buildin' all your links on the chain, on the chain
Bm E E7 A D A
As you're buildin' all your links on the chain.
