Tom : D
D G D
Bill Bailey belonged to every radical party that ever came to be,
D A
Till he finally decided to start his own party so he wouldn't disagree.
D G D
He got himself an office with a sign outside the door, with "Marxist League" in letters red,
D A
And to everyone who came around these were the words he said:
[Chorus]
D
"Oh, you may be a friend of Max Shachtman, Jim Cannon and you may agree,
G D
You may get along with Norman Thomas and with Algernon Lee
D G D
You may be an old-time Wobbly, and think Jay Lovestone's fine,
D A D
Yes, you may be a comrade to all of these folks, but you ain't no Comrade of mine."
[Verse 2]
D G D
For 17 years Bill Bailey kept his office with the sign outside the door,
D A
But he never, ever got a new member. Everybody made him sore.
D G D
And then one night, there came a big fire and through the flame and smoke,
D A
As the firemen rushed in to save Bill's life, these were the words he spoke:
[Chorus]
D
"Oh, you may be a friend of Ben Gitlow; Reverend Muste and you may agree,
G D
You may get along with Emma Goldman and with the S.L.P..
D G D
You may have belonged to every radical party that ever had a line,
D A D
Yes, you may be a comrade to all of those folks, but you ain't no comrade of mine."
[Verse 3]
D G D
And so on this day, Bill Bailey passed away, and his soul to Red Heaven flew.
D A
He was met at the gate by old Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels(13), too.
D G D
They said, "Welcome, comrade," as they opened the gate to let Bill come inside,
D A
As he slammed the door back in old Karl's face, these were the words he cried:
D
"Oh, you may be a friend of Karl Kautsky, and a pal of Ferd LaSalle,
G D
You may get along with William Liebknecht and the First Internationale,
D G D
Yes, you may have inspired every radical party from the Hudson to the Rhine,
D A D
Oh, you may be a comrade of all of those folks, but you ain't no comrade of mine."