Battle of Glace Bay

LYRICS

The battle thickens, the foes ring round,
Closer and closer, death’s in our face.
Steady, there steady hold your ground.
Each in his place lads each in his place.

Who will say that we have not fought well,
Armed with pick and shovel and bar,
Blackened and burned in the fires of hell—
The rank and file of a Holy War?

Courage them comrades lest we forget
The World’s my country, my brother man

Tho the foes increase we will see it yet—
The fields grow green where the red blood ran.
The little ones cry, the mothers are still
But their crying, their stillness, rings over the Bay
I can see the white banners like dawn on the hill—
The hosts of humanity marching our way

Close up your ranks there, steady your eyes
It is better to struggle tho the ground runs red
Than falter one step from the ultimate prize
In the Battle of Bread.

The women are weary but steady but steady
The babies are dicing the hot tears blind:
We perish we perish but steady but steady
The battle is Man’s and the peace Mankind’s.

Tomorrow perhaps we will hear the sound
Of His great voice ringing across the land;
Today the fierce foes ring us round—
Stand to your faith lads stand!

MLH 4 April 1925, p. 3

By DONALD CALABRESE

About Donald Calabrese

After years of backing bands on bass or fronting them on guitar, Donald Calabrese makes a kind of solo break. Though he has played most notably with bands like The Tom Fun Orchestra, Buck and Kinch and the Colin Grant Band, Calabrese’s musical heritage is steeped in the punk and hardcore roots of bands like Black Flag and Propagandhi in the 1990s. “Having explored realms of blues, celtic and rock and roll, playing three chords and screaming indiscriminately is like a kind of homecoming.”