All I Want

(I Don't Want Your Millions, Mister)

Words:  Jim Garland (1930s)

Music:  "Greenback Dollar", Hoyt Axton

 

This tune was made famous by The Almanac Singers in 1941 (Woody Guthrie, Lee Hays, Millard Lampell, Pete Seeger).  I just heard it again from one of my new Rounder collections and thought it rather appropriate for this Age of AIG Anger.  There is a nice writeup of this song on www.geocities.com/Nashville/3448/alliwant.html where we learn that:  "...Lyrics as reprinted (with minor corrections by Manfred Helfert)in Ronald D. Cohen & Dave Samuelson, liner notes for "Songs for Political Action," Bear Family Records BCD 15720 JL, 1996, p. 86..."

 

CHORUS:

I don't want your millions, Mister, I don't want your diamond ring.

All I want is the right to live, Mister, give me back my job again.

 

I don't want your Rolls-Royce, Mister, I don't want your pleasure yacht.

All I want's just food for my babies, give to me my old job back.

 

We worked to build this country, Mister, while you enjoyed a life of ease.

You've stolen all that we built, Mister, now our children starve & freeze.

 

CHORUS:

 

Think me dumb if you wish, Mister, call me green, or blue, or red.

This one thing I sure know, Mister, my hungry babies must be fed.

 

Take the two old parties, Mister, no difference in them I can see.

But with a Farmer-Labor Party, we could set the people free.

 

CHORUS:

 




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