The Banks are Made of Marble

Original music and lyrics by Les Rice

I’ve traveled ’round this country,
From shore to shining shore;
It really made me wonder,
The things I heard and saw.

I saw the weary farmer,
Plowing sod and loam,
I heard the auction hammer,
A knocking down his home.

But the banks are made of marble,
With a guard at every door,
And the vaults are stuffed with silver,
That the farmer sweated for.

I saw the seaman standing,
Idly by the shore,
I heard their bosses saying,
“Got no work for you no more”

But the banks are made of marble,
With a guard at every door,
And the vaults are stuffed with silver,
That the seaman sweated for.

I saw the weary miner,
Scrubbing coal dust from his back,
And I heard his children crying,
“Got no coal to heat the shack.”

But the banks are made of marble,
With a guard at every door,
And the vaults are stuffed with silver,
That the miner sweated for.

I’ve seen my brothers working,
Throughout this mighty land,
I prayed we’d get together,
And together make a stand.

Then we’d own those banks of marble,
With a guard at every door,
And we would share those vaults of silver,
That we have sweated for!

These lyrics were taken from ProtestSongLyrics.net where you can read more about its origins.