To fully appreciate the impact of women mill workers carrying signs that read “We want bread, and roses, too,” during the Lawrence, Mass., textile strike of 1912, you must be familiar with the words to the poem where the phrase originated (see below). It was written by James Oppenheim and published in The American Magazine in 1911, the year before the Lawrence "Bread and Roses" strike.
Ralph Fasanella / Labor Notes
The Great Strike: Lawrence 1912
Oppenheim's poem was set to music in 1976 by Mimi Farina. The song includes an additional phrase at the end. Though there is a nice rendition of Farina singing it with her sister, Joan Baez, I've always thought the definitive version was done by Judy Collins with a full chorus of women. You can listen to Collins' version here.
BREAD AND ROSES
As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day,
A
million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts gray,
Are
touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses,
For
the people hear us singing: "Bread and roses! Bread and roses!"
As
we come marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For
they are women's children, and we mother them again.
Our
lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts
starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses!
As
we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go
crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.
Small
art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes,
it is bread we fight for — but we fight for roses, too!
As we come marching, marching, we bring the greater days.
The
rising of the women means the rising of the race.
No
more the drudge and idler — ten that toil where one reposes,
But a
sharing of life's glories: Bread and roses! Bread and roses!
— By James Oppenheim
The times don't really change do they? We all still want bread and roses. Each equally needed.
Posted by: Lisa at Greeenbow | Friday, September 04, 2009 at 05:06 AM