Mash-Up Protest Chanteys of 1765/2015
Protests: Rabble-Rouser (Dave Malinsky) varies the chants according to mood and exhaustion. He poses the starting line, which is first repeated by the Chorus Leader (Lynne Saginaw). Rouser repeats the line, and then the Crowd repeats the Leader’s response. (21st Century-dressed supporters are urged to join in Crowd’s lines from the side.) As with all work chanteys, the point is to keep a steady walking rhythm going, rather than conveying information.
If members of Crowd can read this through in advance, it would be worthwhile to ensure you know what words are being used. There’s no need to memorize or carry the script (or even print it out): Dave and Lynne are doing the hard work in that regard, so that no one else has to. In every instance, Crowd repeats what the Leader has said.
#1
Rouser: What do we want?
Leader: No stamps, no stamps!
Rouser: What do we want?
Crowd: No stamps, no stamps!
Rouser: When do we want it?
Leader: Right now, right now!
Rouser: When do we want it?
Crowd: Right now, right now!
Rouser: What are the stamps?
Leader: Unjust, unjust!
Rouser: What are the stamps?
Crowd: Unjust, unjust!
Rouser: Will they repeal?
Leader: No trust, no trust!
Rouser: Will they repeal?
Crowd: No trust, no trust!
Rouser: Will we persist?
Leader: We must, we must!
Rouser: Will we persist?
Crowd: We must, we must!
#2
Rouser: We’ve been taxed!
Do we have a say in this?
Leader: No, we have no say in this!
Rouser: Do we have a say in this?
Crowd: No, we have no say in this!
Rouser: Should we have a say in this?
Leader: We should have a say in this!
Rouser: Should we have a say in this?
Crowd: We should have a say in this!
Rouser: Dare we claim our rights in this?
Leader: We demand our rights in this!
Rouser: Dare we claim our rights in this?
Crowd: We demand our rights in this!
#3 [Note: Rouser will make a prose introduction, explaining the “funeral” of “Lady Liberty”]
Rouser: Liberty has died today!
Leader: Mourn her, mourn her!
Rouser: Liberty has died today!
Crowd: Mourn her, mourn her!
Rouser: Britain stamped her life away!
Leader: Mourn her, mourn her!
Rouser: Britain stamped her life away!
Crowd: Mourn her, mourn her!
Rouser: Stole her wealth without her say!
Leader: Mourn her, mourn her!
Rouser: Stole her wealth without her say!
Crowd: Mourn her, mourn her!
Rouser: Bring her back, or make them pay!
Leader: Mourn her, mourn her!
Rouser: Bring her back, or make them pay!
Crowd: Mourn her, mourn her!
#4
Rouser: If they sell them—
Leader: We won’t buy them!
Rouser: If they sell them—
Crowd: We won’t buy them!
Rouser: If they push them—
Leader: We won’t have them!
Rouser: If they push them—
Crowd: We won’t have them!
Rouser: If they curse us—
Leader: We’ll ignore them!
Rouser: If they curse us—
Crowd: We’ll ignore them!
Rouser: If they rob us—
Leader: We might hang them!
Rouser: If they rob us—
Crowd: We might hang them!
ALL: Huzzah, huzzah, huzzah, huzzah!
#5
Rouser: From far across the blue
Leader: Comes a tax all too new
Rouser: From far across the blue
Crowd: Comes a tax all too new
Rouser: Oh what a rotten stew!
Leader: Trouble for me and you!
Rouser: Oh what a rotten stew!
Crowd: Trouble for me and you!
Rouser: We have been stamped upon!
Leader: Oh what a vicious one!
Rouser: We have been stamped upon!
Crowd: Oh what a vicious one!
Rouser: Should we just cut and run?
Leader: Never this mother’s son!
Rouser: Should we just cut and run?
Crowd: Never this mother’s son!
Rouser: What cost one now costs three
Leader: What new cost will we see?
Rouser: What cost one now costs three
Crowd: What new cost will we see?
Rouser: They’re on a taxing spree
Leader: Why can’t they let us be?
Rouser: They’re on a taxing spree
Crowd: Why can’t they let us be?
ALL: [the default chant, ad infinitum] No stamps, no stamps, no stamps …
Everyone should feel free to interact with the “audience.” Ad lib-bing is not only okay, it’s desirable.