[Newspoetry] Two Songs for Political Action

[Paul Kotheimer]

The GEO is Gonna Roll the Union On 

                    <ital>To the tune of John Hancock's "Roll the Unoin
On," the tune of which is similar to
                    a number of traditional tunes of the American South,
including "Polly Wally Doodle," for
                    example. Hancock's 1929 [?] recording of "Roll the
Union On" can be found on Disc
                    One of the 10 CD set entitled <Songs for Political
Action> (Dr. Ronald D. Cohen, et al,
                    eds.).</ital> 

                    CHORUS We gonna roll, We gonna roll, 
                    We gonna roll the union on. 
                    The G.E.O. is gonna roll, 
                    We gonna roll the union on! 

                    VERSE If the chancellor's in the way, 
                    We gonna roll it over him, 
                    Roll it over him, 
                    We gonna roll it over him. 
                    If the chancellor's in the way, 
                    We gonna roll it over him. 
                    Roll this union on! 

                    CHORUS [as above] 

                    VERSE If the TRUS-tees' in the way, 
                    We gonna roll it over them... 

                    CHORUS 

                    VERSE Admini-STRA-tion's in the way, 
                    We gonna roll it over them... 

                    CHORUS 

                    VERSE Department HEADS are in the way, 
                    We gonna roll it over them... 

                    CHORUS 

                    VERSE Labor Re-LA-tions in the way? 
                    We gonna roll it over them... 

                    CHORUS 

                    VERSE If the GOV-'ner's in the way, 
                    We gonna roll it over him... 

                    CHORUS 

                    VERSE The pres-i-DENT's in the way, 
                    We gonna roll it over him... 

                    FINAL CHORUS 

                    <ital>*N. B.: These lyrics are probably performed best
if "roll" is pronounced so as to almost-rhyme with "G. E. O.," in the
spirit of the 19th Century African-American spiritual. The G. E. O. is the
Graduate Employees Organization of the University of Illinois. This
AFT-affiliated union has been fighting for recognition by the University
administration since 1993.</ital>

                    +++ 

                    ORGANIZE the G. E. O. 

                    <ital>To the tune of "Got to Organize, Baby Mine,"
which is also preserved in an audio
                    recording from the 1929 on the same disc of the
aforementioned 10-CD set. Woody
                    Guthrie sang the tune with some of his own lyrics as
part of an Almanac Singers'
                    recording session in 1941. The melody resembles one
I've heard sung on a record by
                    Robert Johnson, which gives me a hunch that it's a
traditional 
                    tune of the American South as well.</ital> 

                    CHORUS Well, we got to organize the G. E. O.! 
                    Said, we got to organize the G. E. O.! 
                    Cause with a good, strong G. E. O., 
                    Their union-busting's got to go: 
                    U. I. U. C.* will recognize when we organize! 

                    Let that president go watch the football game. 
                    Let that president go watch the football game. 
                    Let him watch that football game. 
                    His campus won't remain the same 
                    If we just keep organizin' the G. E. O. 

                    CHORUS Well, we got to organize the G. E. O.! 
                    Said, we got to organize the G. E. O.! 
                    Yes, we got to organize, 
                    and cut the PRES-ident down to size. 
                    U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize! 

                    Let that chancellor keep talking on the phone! 
                    Let that chancellor keep talking on the phone! 
                    Well, he be talking on the phone, 
                    But the G. E. O. won't leave him alone. 
                    We just gotta keep organizing the G. E. O. 

                    CHORUS Well, we got to organize the G. E. O.! 
                    Said, we got to organize the G. E. O.! 
                    Yes, we got to organize, 
                    and cut the CHAN-c'llor down to size. 
                    U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize! 

                    Let that Board of Trustees talk that double-talk. 
                    Let that Board of Trustees talk that double-talk. 
                    They won't be talking double talk 
                    When all their T. A.'s take a walk. 
                    That's why we gotta keep organinzing the G. E. O.! 

                    CHORUS Well, we got to organize the G. E. O.! 
                    Said, we got to organize the G. E. O.! 
                    Yes, we got to organize, 
                    and cut those TRUS-tee's down to size. 
                    U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize! 
                    U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize! 
                    U. I. U. C. will recognize when we organize! 

                    *UIUC stands for "University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign," the institution which
                    currently opposes the recognition of the Graduate
Employees Organization.


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