Marx and Lenin Made a Plan
MARX and Lenin made a plan,
And wished it on the workingman.
And wished it on the workingman.
They said the workingman should be
The Savior of Society.
The Savior of Society.
They mapped the course he must pursue
And told him they would see him through.
And told him they would see him through.
His gentle heart and docile mind
To Revolution they inclined,
To Revolution they inclined,
And taught him consciousness of class,
And showed him how to rise en masse.
And showed him how to rise en masse.
And bade him shout with all his might,
‘Workers of the World, unite!’
‘Workers of the World, unite!’
When traitor State and traitor Church,
In Russia, left him in the lurch,
In Russia, left him in the lurch,
And every Ally let him down,
Revolution came to town.
Revolution came to town.
The Russian Proletariat
In proud class-consciousness begat
In proud class-consciousness begat
The System of the Soviet,
And quite upset the etiquette
And quite upset the etiquette
Of international relations
Observed among the bourgeois nations.
Observed among the bourgeois nations.
The U. S. A. mourned bitterly
The insult to Democracy.
The insult to Democracy.
And Congress balked at recognition
Of this illicit parturition.
Of this illicit parturition.
And incidentally insisted
(Though critics called the deal close-fisted)
(Though critics called the deal close-fisted)
That first the infant Soviets
Should pay up their prenatal debts.
Should pay up their prenatal debts.
But Europe and the Orient,
By nature less intransigent,
By nature less intransigent,
Pursued a course more lenient
Toward Bolshevik experiment.
Toward Bolshevik experiment.
Several countries even took
A page or two from Lenin’s book,
A page or two from Lenin’s book,
Adopting and adapting very
Freely, so-called temporary
Freely, so-called temporary
Measures, makeshift and pragmatic,
(Italics here, loud and emphatic)
(Italics here, loud and emphatic)
That set the pace and cracked the whip:
Coercion and Dictatorship.
Coercion and Dictatorship.
The Fascist Plan, the Nazi Plan,
The Puppet State of New Japan,
The Puppet State of New Japan,
Concurred with Russia, that of course
One brings Utopia in by Force.
One brings Utopia in by Force.
But only the U. S. S. R.
Hitched the Workman to her Star.
Hitched the Workman to her Star.
Only Russia, ringed with hate,
Turned Communist and laughed at Fate.
Turned Communist and laughed at Fate.
Only Russia claims to be
For Labor’s solidarity.
For Labor’s solidarity.
O Russia, Russia, fie, for shame!
Make good your claim, make good your claim!
Make good your claim, make good your claim!
How dare you bid the Workingman
Unite? How dare you flaunt your Plan,
Unite? How dare you flaunt your Plan,
When every day you put to Death
A Carpenter of Nazareth?
A Carpenter of Nazareth?