The Red Flag. Annotated

Such an uplifting song, no?


The People's Flag is deepest red,

It shrouded oft our martyred dead,

And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold,

Their hearts' blood dyed its every fold.


Nice! Sorta reminds me of JFK's campaign song:

He's got hi-igh hopes!

He's got hi-igh hopes!

Chorus:

So raise the scarlet standard high.

Beneath its folds we'll live and die,

What are you smok-ing

You are high

Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer,

We'll keep the red flag flying here.

Look round, the Frenchman loves its blaze,


Off with their heads

Under our gaze


The sturdy German chants its praise,


The Krauts ne'er sang it all their days


In Moscow's vaults its hymns were sung


Those vaults now buried

Under dung


Chicago swells the surging throng.

Chi-town did not, you got that wrong.

(chorus)

It waved above our infant might,

When all ahead seemed dark as night;

When all ahead seems dark as night


It witnessed many a deed and vow,

We must not change its colour now.

(chorus)

It well recalls the triumphs past,

It's been a long time since your last

It gives the hope of peace at last;

The banner bright, the symbol plain,

Of human right and human gain.

(chorus)

It suits today the weak and base,

Whose minds are fixed on pelf and place

What the-e hell does pe-lf mean

To cringe before the rich man's frown,

And haul the sacred emblem down.

(chorus)

With head uncovered swear we all

Put on a helmet, wear a caul

To bear it onward till we fall;

Come dungeons dark or gallows grim,

This song shall be our parting hymn.

It shall with Jer-e-my Cor-byn.