The Workers Song

This song was written by Ed Pickford and first recorded by Scottish folk singer Dick Gaughan on his landmark 1981 album *Handful of Earth*. The Longest Johns' version was released as the fourth track on Smoke + Oakum, featuring guest artist Seth Lakeman.

This song was the subject of the band's third Community Video Project, announced 3 Aug 2022. The finished video, featuring 833 participants, was released on YouTube 11 January 2023.

## Factoids

The final chorus of the album version features guest vocals from the Darley parents and Sam (community moderator & brother to JD) as well as the Severn Whalers.

"The Workers Song" was one of the two songs led by iRobert — a video of Robbie's face on an iPad, perched atop a hanging rack of his clothing — when Robbie was unable to join the band for the US portion of their autumn 2022 tour due to visa issues. (The other was Beer is Great.)

## Lyrics

Lyrics as provided in the *Smoke + Oakum* album sleeve.

>
> Oh come on all you workers, who toil night and day
>
> By hand and by brain, to earn your pay
>
> Who for centuries all past, for no more than your bread
>
> Have bled for your countries and counted your dead
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
> We're the the first ones to starve
>
> We're the first ones to die
>
> the first ones in line for that "pie in the sky"
>
> And we're always the last, when the cream is shared out
>
> For the worker is working when the fat cat's about
>
>
>
> In the factories and mills, the shipyards and mines
>
> We've often been told to keep up with the times
>
> For our skills are not needed, they've streamlined the job
>
> With slide-rule and stopwatch our pride they have robbed
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> And when the sky darkens, and the prospect is war
>
> Who's given a gun and then pushed to the fore?
>
> And expected to die for the land of our birth
>
> Though we've never owned one lousy handful of earth
>
>
>
> {Chorus}
>
>
>
> And all of these things the worker has done
>
> From tilling the field to carrying the gun
>
> We've been yoked to the plough since time first began
>
> And always expected to carry the can
>
>
>
> {Chorus 2x}
>
>
>
>

## Recordings

#### Streaming/Purchase

* Amazon Music
* Apple Music/iTunes
* Deezer
* Pandora
* Spotify

#### YouTube Videos

* Community Project
* Smoke + Oakum version

#### Gig Videos

* The Longest Johns — Live at Old Songs (26 Feb 2022)
* Exeter Phoenix (26 April 2022)
* Falmouth International Sea Shanty Festival (June 2022)
* The Studio at the Factory - Dallas, TX (23 Nov 2022)
* Kraków, Poland (26 Feb 2023)
* Cursus Festival 2023

#### Full Band Streams

* The Longest Johns Impromptu Singing Stream! (17 Nov 2018)
* Singing Live Stream and Special Announcement… (7 Aug 2019)
* TLJ Christmas Party!! (18 Dec 2019)
* The Longest Johns Save the Day! Or maybe just sing and chat… (29 Apr 2020)
* It’s hot! Stream was a bad choice… Or was it? (24 Jun 2020)
* Stream of Mushroom Soup (A day early to fit around touring) (23 Nov 2021)
* Official Folk Albums Chart of the Year Show (1 Feb 2022)
* Ex-Stream Sports (15 Feb 2022)
* Stream me up Scotty! (23 Aug 2022)
* Streamworks (18 Jan 2023)
* Ghost in the Mastream (30 Aug 2023)
* Jingle Jam 2023 | Day 4 (4 Dec 2023)