Joe Hill Lyrics - A Hero Of The Game - Phil Ochs

Joe Hill come over from Sweden shores 

Looking for some work to do 

And the Statue of Liberty waved him by 

As Joe come a sailing through, Joe Hill 

As Joe come a sailing through 

Oh his clothes were coarse and his hopes were high 

As he headed for the promised land 

And it took a few weeks on the out-of-work streets 

Before he began to understand 

Before he began to understand 

And Joe got hired by a Bowery bar 

Sweeping up the saloon 

As his rag would sail over the barroom rail 

Sounded like he whistled on a tune 

You could almost hear him whistling on a tune 

And Joe rolled on from job to job 

From the docks to the railroad line 

And no matter how hungry the hand that wrote 

In his letters he was always doing fine 

In his letters he was always doing fine 

Oh, the years went by like the sun goin' down 

Slowly turn the page and when Joe 

Looked back at the sweat upon his tracks 

He had nothing to show but his age 

He had nothing to show but his age 

So he headed out for the California shore 

There things were just as bad 

So he joined the industrial workers of the world 

'Cause the union was the only friend he had 

'Cause the union was the only friend he had 

Now, the strikes were bloody and the strikes 

Were black as hard as they were long 

In the dark of night Joe would stay awake and write 

In the morning he would raise them with a song 

In the morning he would raise them with a song 

And he wrote his words to the tunes of the day 

To be passed along the union vine 

And the strikes were led and the songs were spread 

And Joe Hill was always on the line 

Yes, Joe Hill was always on the line 

Now, in Salt Lake City a murder was made 

There was hardly a clue to find 

Oh, the proof was poor but the sheriff was sure 

Joe was the killer of the crime 

That Joe was the killer of the crime 

Joe raised his hands but they shot him down 

He had nothing but guilt to give 

It's a doctor I need and they left him to bleed 

He made it 'cause he had the will to live 

Yes, he made it 'cause he had the will to live 

Then the trial was held in a building of wood 

And there the killer would be named 

And the days weighed more than the cold copper ore 

'Cause he feared that he was being framed 

'Cause he found out that he was being framed 

Oh, strange are the ways of western law 

Strange are the ways of fate 

For the government crawled to the mine owner's call 

That the judge was appointed by the state 

Yes, the judge was appointed by the state 

Oh, Utah justice can be had but not for a union man 

And Joe was warned by summer early morn 

That there'd be one less singer in the land 

There'd be one less singer in the land 

Now, William Spry was Governor Spry 

And a life was his to hold 

On the last appeal, fell a governor's tear 

"May the Lord have mercy on your soul 

May the Lord have mercy on your soul" 

Even President Wilson held up the day 

But even he would fail 

For nobody heard the soul searching words 

Of the soul in the Salt Lake City jail 

Of the soul in the Salt Lake City jail 

For 36 years he lived out his days 

And he more than played his part 

For his songs that he made, he was carefully paid 

With a rifle bullet buried in his heart 

With a rifle bullet buried in his heart 

Yes, they lined Joe Hill up against the wall 

Blindfold over his eyes 

It's the life of a rebel that he chose to live 

It's the death of a rebel that he died 

It's the death of a rebel that he died 

Now, some say Joe was guilty as charged 

And some say he wasn't even there 

And I guess nobody will ever know 

'Cause the court records all disappeared 

'Cause the court records all disappeared 

Say wherever you go in this fair land in every union hall 

In the dusty dark these words are marked 

In between all the cracks upon the wall 

In between all the cracks upon the wall 

It's the very last line that Joe Hill wrote 

When he knew that his days were through 

"Boys, this is my last and final will 

Good luck to all of you, good luck to all of you"