to the tune of The Old Orange Flute

 

Now when I was a young man, I worked in Milwaukee

A pharmaceutical salesman, a pill-hocking jockey

Each caller and desk, every salesman and car

were ruled by our President, Fred Ernst Yahr

Now Yahr had a profitable policy

A way to cut short paying seniority

There’s plenty to do, you could always get hired

But the minute you’re up for a raise you’d be fired

Well, we all talked it over, a few months or so

We decided the bum at the top had to go

The day it was chosen, the plans were all spun

and we all came in early, to have some good fun

What a scene hit the boss when he opened the door

Badminton and bridge had the rule of the floor

And we all carried on like we would at the bars

taking bets on the matches and smoking cigars

Then we took up the chorus, each woman and man

“We’re staying on strike until Yahr gets the can”

And the traveling salesmen all radioed in 

Said “we’ll all of us sit in our cars ‘til we win”

Not a phone call was answered, not an order was filled

Not a dollar or dime clattered into the till

and the shift girls said, with a grin ear to ear

“you can call in the scabs, boss, but we’re staying here”

Now Yahre stood in shock and he started to sputter

and carrying on with a mouth like a gutter

now you get back to work, you damned treacherous reds!

but we cranked up the box to the jazz band instead

Oh the party kicked up and we had quite the rumpus

A hoi polloi shindig, and Yahre couldn’t dump us

‘til a runner showed up, said “I’ve come from the Board”

and they want Mr. Yahre to come in for a word

The Board called in Yahre and they spoke very stern

“If the workers won’t shift, not a cent can be earned

these hemorrhaging funds, the investors won’t stand

I’m sorry old Yahre but we’ll meet their demand”

So come all you people who’ve been hearing my ditty

if your boss is a twit and your workplace is awful

just think on this story of profit and loss

and remember the day that we fired the boss

Take a hike! Take a hike! 

Oh, long live the union and wildcat strikes!