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FRED BARTLEY Broken Hill 1973 Tune: Casey Jones Scab's HymnOn the seventh day of September we called a one-day strikeAs a protest 'gainst the censor Lieutenant Colonel Dyke, But Blue Whiskers, the double scab, with legs upon his chest, Was not prepared to stop away for one day's rest. CHORUS Blue Whiskers kept his popper running, Blue Whiskers scabbed a second time, Blue Whiskers got a wooden medal For scabbing on the diggers at the Central Mine. The unions got together and said it wasn't fair For Blue Whiskers to go around a-scabbing everywhere. The 'Wobblies' union local number two, they were sure there And they threatened to throw 'Bluey' down the Central stair. Blue Whiskers will hit the bottom flying, Blue Whiskers will break his scabby spine, Blue Whiskers will fire in his alley And he'll do no more scabbing at the Central Mine. NOTE:This song is related to the IWW song composed by Joe Hill but, of course, it has been localised. I assume that 'Blue Whiskers' was so nicknamed because he had red hair. The song is anonymous and was collected in Broken Hill in 1974 from a manuscript. It was common to refer to scabs as having 'legs upon their chests' as in parasites such as fleas or lice. |