PROTEST SONGS
Federal Workers Rock You/We Will Stop You
DOGE is to Blame
The Government Works for Us
Joy in Resistance
We Shall Not Be Moved
This Little Light of Ours
This Joy That I Have
Don't Negotiate
Which Side Are You On?
Rich Man's House
Oh, Congress, Do Your Job!
Ella's Song
Bonus Track: When the Order is Illegal, Disobey!
1. Federal Workers Rock You! / We Will Stop You!
To the tune of "We Will Rock You" by Queen
Parody lyrics by Emma’s Revolution & Nikki Nesbary
Audio here
Chorus (2 options!):
We will, we will stop you!
We will, we will stop you!
Federal workers rock you!
Federal workers rock you!
Verse 1: Elon you’re a boy, make a big noise
Breaking all the laws, trying to be a big man today
You got blood on your face, Big disgrace
Waving your chainsaw all over the place (Chorus
Verse 2: Donald, you're a tyrant, traitor
Selling all your lies, wanna be a big king NO WAY!
You got ORANGE on your face, Big disgrace
Federal Workers gonna put you
Back into your place! (Chorus)
Bonus Choruses!
Fork you, fork you Elon! …
No More Trade Deals, Donald! …
2. DOGE is to Blame!
To the tune of "Home on the Range"
Parody lyrics by Nikki Nesbary
Audio here
Chorus: DOGE, DOGE is to blame
For this mess that they cannot contain
Under cover of night,
They’ve tried to take all our rights
But we won’t back down without a fight!!
Verse 1: Oh give me a home
Where Democracy roams
And we value all government work!
With no forks in the road,
or forced retirement woes
And our country has not gone berserk! (Chorus)
Verse 2: Well OPM says,
You can sign up and pledge
To retire and just walk away
From job security,
Into uncertainty (With no guarantee?)
That's what Elon calls efficiency! (Chorus)
No, we won’t back down without a fight!!
3. The Government Works for Us
To the tune of "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen Parody lyrics by Bailey Myers
Audio here: https://youtube.com/shorts/OD1hhYykD40?feature=share
Chorus: Bum bum bum
dThe government works for us
Bum bum bum
The government works for us
Not a billionaire man and a Putin stan,
The government works for us
Hey! You’ve got a job to do
The government works for us
Verse 1:
Well, back in 1776
when our country came to be
The tea was that they taxed our tea without our consent
And so we threw it in the sea
Are you ready? Hey! Are you ready for this?
I’ve got a document you might wanna see
The founding fathers had a lot of thoughts
About how government ought to be (Chorus)
Verse 2:
Well our country isn’t perfect and it’s taken a while
But we’ve slowly won our rights
And now these clowns think they can whittle ‘em down
And that we’ll give em up without a fight
Are you happy, are you satisfied?
How long can you stand the heat?
You can count on we the people gettin’ organized
We’re bringing more next time we meet! (Chorus)
Verse 3:
They’re taking everything that made America great
And they’re burning it to the ground
They’re flooding the zone
with acts of senseless hate
To kick us while we’re down
But we’re ready, yes we’re ready for you
We’re standing right where we oughta be
We call it “of the people, by the people, for the people”
Not an oligarchic monarchy! (Chorus)
4. Joy in Resistance
As sung by the Resistance Revival Chorus
Modified by the Rapid Response Choir
https://youtu.be/qAIKKBRkK24?si=PfpoREOClOyVmKDU
What the world needs now,
is joy in resistance
We will fight the good fight,
with or without your assistance
Move out of the way,
if you can’t support the mission
What the world needs now, is joy!
*Repeat, replacing "joy" with "love," "hope," "faith," and "joy" again.
5. We Shall Not Be Moved
Modified lyrics by Nikki Nesbary
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/B4CSvcnhiQU
(1st and last verse)
We shall not, we shall not be moved
We shall not, we shall not be moved
Like a tree that's planted by the water
We shall not be moved
(interim verses)
2. We're on the road to justice,
we shall not be moved…
3. We’re fighting for our children,
we shall not be moved...
4. Federal Workers Matter, we shall not be moved...
5. We will win together, we shall not be moved...
6. This Little Light of Ours
(This Little Light of Mine)
Modified lyrics by Nikki Nesbary
Audio here
This Little Light of Ours, we’re gonna let it shine,
This Little Light of Ours, we’re gonna let it shine,
This Little Light of Ours, we’re gonna let it shine,
Let it shine, Let it shine, Let it shine…
All Around DC…
At all the agencies…
Here at CFPB…
At USAID…
Down at Treasury…
Up the street at FEMA…
At the Dept of Education…
Here at IRS…
Everywhere we go…
7. This Joy That I Have
To the tune of "This Little Light of Mine"
As performed by The Resistance Revival Chorus
https://youtu.be/NB0XbgPrZsg?si=X8oMPWtpfFAd79xY&t=25
This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me
This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me
This joy that I have, the world didn’t give it to me
The world didn’t give it, the world can’t take it away
*Repeat, replacing "joy" with "strength," "love," "pride," "peace," and "joy" again.
8. Don’t Negotiate
Words and Music by Melting Virgo
https://youtu.be/MY5vxgR3LEw?si=y8n6raEkicKt_6zr
The rain don’t negotiate
The wind don’t negotiate
The fire don’t negotiate
The climate don’t negotiate
Hurricanes don’t negotiate
Tornadoes don’t negotiate
Smoke don’t negotiate
Oh no the climate don’t negotiate
9. Which Side Are You On?
Parody lyrics by Susan Rogers
Audio here
Chorus: Oh, which side are you on?
Which side are you on?
Come all of you good workers
Good News to you I tell
Of how the good old union
They come in here to dwell (Chorus)
We’ll fight against DOGE
We’ll fight Elon Musk
No Elon scabs at DOL
We’ll fight from dawn to dusk (Chorus)
Trump’s comin’ for our unions
He wants us all to fail
He wants all workers to bow to him
But we want him in jail. (Chorus)
Don’t scab for DOGE
Don’t listen to his lies
Us poor folks haven’t got a chance
Unless we organize. (Chorus)
10. Rich Man’s House
Modified Lyrics by Nikki Nesbary
Audio here
Verse 1 (sing twice!):
Well WE went down to the Rich Man’s House
And WE took back what he stole from us
(Took it back) Took back our dignity
(Took it back) Took back our humanity
Chorus:
And now we’re out in the streets, out in the streets
We’re out in the streets, oh we’re out in the streets
Ain’t gonna let No Fascists take our Democracy!
Additional verses (sing twice each):
2. Well WE went down to the Tesla Store...
3. Well WE went down to The White House...
11. Oh, Congress, Do Your Job!
To the tune of "When the Saints Go Marching In"
Parody lyrics by Lyn McCoy & Ferrilyn Sourdiffe of the Piedmont Raging Grannies
(Selected verses, view full lyrics here:) https://raginggrannies.net/oh-tillis-do-you-job-or-insert-congress-or-other-politicians-name/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B__a8U87zis
Oh Congress please, just do your job
Oh Congress please, just do your job
Oh how I want to be in that number
When you finally do your job!
You work for us, that’s how it works
You work for us, that’s how it works
Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to
You work for us, that’s how it works!
Will you stand up, to tyranny
Will you stand up, to tyranny
When will you fight Trump’s cruel agenda
Will you stand up, to tyranny?
(back to verse 1)
12. Ella’s Song
Words of Ella Baker, additional lyrics and music by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon of Sweet Honey in the Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6Uus--gFrc
Refrain (sing once, then repeat before each stanza):
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
... Until the killing of black men, black mothers' sons
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers' sons
... That which touches me most is that I had a chance to work with people
Passing on to others that which was passed on to me
... To me young people come first, they have the courage where we fail
And if I can but shed some light, as they carry us through the gale
... The older I get the better I know that the secret of my going on
Is when the reins are in the hands of the young, who dare to run against the storm
... Not needing to clutch for power, not needing the light just to shine on me
I need to be one in the number as we stand against tyranny
... Struggling myself don't mean a whole lot, I've come to realize
That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survives
... I'm a woman who speaks in a voice and I must be heard
At times I can be quite difficult, I'll bow to no man's word
Final refrain: We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes
13. When the Order is Illegal, Disobey!
To the tune of “She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain”
Parody lyrics by Joe Dalaker
1. When the order is illegal, disobey
(Disobey!)
When the order is illegal, disobey
(Disobey!)
When the order is illegal
Don’t just be a pliant beagle
When the order is illegal, disobey!
(Disobey!)
2. When the boss is unelected, disobey
(Disobey!)
When the boss is unelected, disobey
(Disobey!)
When the boss is unelected
And says your job’s unprotected
Tell him his cars are defective.
Disobey!
(Disobey!)
3. If the Muskrat RIFs* your people, disobey
(Disobey!)
If the Muskrat RIFs your people, disobey
(Disobey!)
If retire you don’t wanna
Tell him “Go back home to Tshwane”**
If the Muskrat RIFs your people, disobey!
(Disobey!)
4. When the crook says “stop the payments” disobey.
(Disobey!)
When the crook says “stop the payments” disobey.
(Disobey!)
When the crook says “stop the payments”
Think of all his lawsuit claimants
When the crook says “stop the payments” disobey
(Disobey!)
5. When he says to whitewash hist’ry disobey
(Disobey!)
When he says to whitewash hist’ry disobey
(Disobey!)
It’s no wonder, it’s no myst’ry,
Everyone’s a part of hist’ry
If you love both Truth and Country disobey!
(Disobey!)
6. If the orders say to censor, disobey.
(Disobey)
If the orders say to censor, disobey (disobey)
If you say you love your freedom
Don’t ban books, instead just read ‘em
Or you always could just leave ‘em. Disobey!
(Disobey!)
7. If your orders are to kidnap, disobey (Disobey)
If your orders are to kidnap, disobey (Disobey)
Speech and assembly give us freedom
So protect ‘em—we all need ‘em
Donny uses goons to cheat ‘em. Disobey!
(Disobey!)
8. If you believe his lies no longer, disobey
(Disobey)
If you believe his lies no longer disobey
(Disobey)
Don’t engage in insurrection
Just cause he can’t get erections
The Constitution needs protection. Disobey!
(Disobey!)
9. If they say you’re out of order, disobey. (Disobey!)
If they say you’re out of order, disobey. (Disobey!)
If they say you’re out of order,
Then just what were you elected for?
So make your voice like thunder. Disobey!
(Disobey!)
10. When the order is illegal disobey
(Disobey!)
When the order is illegal disobey
(Disobey!)
He’s a tyrant, he’s a felon,
We’re not buyin’ what he’s sellin’
Tell him f*ck right off to hell and
Disobey!
(DISOBEY!)
(* RIF = reduction in force. U.S. federal government term for mass layoff)
(**Tshwane is the Setswana name for Pretoria, South Africa, Elon Musk’s home town. White supremacists from there would likely hate hearing it referred to that way)