Fare Ye Well

Fare Ye Well - 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

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