Fare Ye Well, Old Ely Branch - Pete Seeger

Fare ye well old Ely Branch, fare ye well I say

I’m tired o' livin' on dried beef and tomatoes

And I’m a-goin' away

When we had a strike in Ely this spring, these words ol' Hughes did say

Come along boys go back to work, we’ll give you the two weeks' pays

When they put on their mining clothes, hard work again they tried

And when ol' payday rolled around, they found ol' Hughes had lied

So fare ye well old Ely Branch, fare ye well I say

I’m tired o' livin' on dried beef and tomatoes

And I’m a-goin' away

When Hughes thinks his mines was goin' to stop, a sight to see him frown

There’s gas enough in old Hughes, to blow these mountains down

Oh take your children outta Ely Branch, before they cry for bread

For when ol' Hughes' debts are paid, he won’t be worth a thread

So fare ye well old Ely Branch, fare ye well I say

I’m tired o' livin' on dried beef and tomatoes

And I’m a-goin' away

Now Hughes claims he owns more mines than these, he says he gots money to lend

But when ol' payday rolls around, he can’t pay off his men

I’d rather be in Pine Grove jail with my back all covered in lice

Than to be in old Hughes' coal mines, diggin' coal at Hughes' price

I think John Yaeger’s a very nice man, he’s the same ol' John every day

But a man can’t live can’t live on dried beef and tomatoes, an' I’m a-goin' away

So fare ye well old Ely Branch, fare ye well I say

I’m tired o' livin' on dried beef and tomatoes

And I’m a-goin' away