Hard Miles

Our sincere thanks to Phil Cohen for sending us this song from the U.S.A.

Phil Cohen left his home in New York when he was 16. Since then he has driven illegal taxis, managed a skid row hotel and travelled the world. He ended up in North Carolina where he got a job driving buses and helped organise the drivers into a strong union branch. He has been a UNITE! organiser for 10 years.


Hard Miles

by Phil Cohen

The organizing trail is a hard life my friend
You stand at the gate in the rain and the wind
And the scabs walk by and they threaten your life
From the first of the morning 'till late in the night
From the first of the morning 'till late in the night

I've been many hard miles but one thing I know
There's towns with a union where there was none before
There's towns with a union where there was none before

You knock on the door of the folks where they live
To see if support for the union they'll give
And you're so far from home and you're too tired to stand
Yet you walk that line with a sign in your hand
Yet you walk that line with a sign in your hand

I've been many hard miles but one thing is clear
There's folks standing tall who once lived in fear
There's folks standing tall who once lived in fear

There's many a fool on the company side
And many a good man who just works the line
And many good people get brought to their knees
And many a promise gets lost in the breeze
And many a promise gets lost in the breeze

I've been many hard miles but one thing I'll swear
The union is a light in the face of despair
The union is a light in the face of despair
The union is a light in the face of despair

(c)1997 Phil Cohen

http://sunsite.unc.edu/hardmile/phil.html