The Danish Peace Academy
Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp Songbook
12 That's what gets us by
It ain't just the web
It's the way that we spin it,
It ain't just the world
It's the women within it.
It ain't just the struggle
It's the way that we win it.
That's what gets us by.
It ain't just the care,
It's the love and affection,
It ain't just the way
It's the sense of direction,
It ain't that we are good,
We're just bloody perfection.
That's what gets us by.
[No information about author and composer.
Also published in the Chant Down Greenham songbook.]
[Poster from 1983.
Poster source: Working Class Movement Library, London.
http://www.wcml.org.uk/webgallery/posters/pages/aa109.htm ].
Hear That's what gets us by sung by Anna Key ... et al.
recorded March 16, 2006 for free at the Warren Resource
centre in Hull
for the Danish Peace Academy.
12 Bella Ciao
We are women, and we are singing,
Bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao, ciao.
We are singing for liberation,
We want a non-violent revolution now.
[No information about author.
[Also typewritten and published in the Anti-nuclear songbook.]
Original Italian text:
http://www.ladyofspain.com/bellaciaolyrics.html
Original music: http://www.ladyofspain.com/bellaciao.mp3,
http://www.chambre-claire.com/PAROLES/Bella-Ciao.htm and English
translation:
http://www.chumbawamba.tv/media/Chumbawamba-Bella_Ciao.mp3
Eigil Poulsen from Danish No to Nuclear Weapons made a song
based upon Bella Ciao for the
Ravnstrup Women's Peace Camp. The text is dated November 19,
1983.]
13 We are the Daughters of Amazon
[A round.]
We are the daughters of Amazon
And it's for Greenham we're singing.
Repeat two times.
A heavy load. A heavy load.
And it will take some real strength.
Repeat two times.
[No information about author and composer.
Also published in the Frauenwiderstanscamp Hansrück songbook.]
[Source: Anne Lee.]
[Recorded in the Carry Greenham Home video 1983. Singer unknown.]
Hear We are the daughters of Amazon sung by Anna Key ... et
al.
recorded March 16, 2006 for free at the Warren Resource
centre in Hull for the Danish Peace Academy.
14 We work for the Russians
We Work For The Russians
We work for the Russians
At tuppence* a day
They ask us to stay here
And that's why we stay
We drink lots of vodka
And that's why we're gay
Hey.
* twopence or two pennies.
[No information about author and composer.]
[Source: Feminist Archive South.]
MEALS ON WHEELS FOR GREENHAM PEACE CAMP
For the past three months, a hot meal has been delivered every
weekday evening to the Women's Peace Camp using the Greenham Food
Van. The meals on wheels service started in November, 1984, and
will continue indefinitely. The Greenham Food Van is the idea of
Ascot Nuclear Disarmament Group. The group wanted to provide a
regular and reliable hot meals service to help maintain the Women's
Peace Camp throughout the winter.
The group acquired a transit van, had it made roadworthy, and
insured and taxed it. The inside of the van has been fitted with a
table and two-ring gas cooker for heating and serving food.
Ascot Nuclear Disarmament Group co-ordinate a rote of Peace groups
within a 30-40 mile radius of Greenham Common who take it in turn
to provide a meal. Local peace groups from Berkshire, Hampshire and
Oxfordshire have used the van so far. Local groups decide on a menu
and prepare a meal.
A driver and helper from the local group then take the van to
Greenham and stop at each gate around the perimeter of the base to
serve food to womem camped there: Fifty-to sixty meals are provided
each evenin~ at 8 different locations around the base. The food
provided is vegetarian/vegan and received enthusiasticaly as it is
impossible to cook good food with the continuous, daily evictions
of the Peace Camps.
The cost of maintaining, insuring, and taxing the Greenham Food Van
have been met through donations and standing orders from
individuals and Peace Groups nationwide.
The cost of food and petrol have been paid by the local groups
using the van.
For more information, contact Merle Mindel, Ascot Nuclear
Disarmament Group, Tel. Ascot 228770
the food runs to Greenhan
Anne Lee: I was able to spend only short stays at Greenham, but
still remember the food runs. I stayed at Indigo Gate, the main
gate on the north side of the base. The USAF c. 1986 moved
itseveral hundred metres further west. We then called it Woad Gate
(woad was an ancient blue dye with which ancient Britons painted
their bodies when confronting the Roman adversary). The campsite
was on the road verge.
At one stage there were 9 camps: 7 at the Gates, identified by the
women as the colours of the rainbow. Between Green and Blue Gates,
there was Emerald camp - opposite the Cruise Missile Silos and
between Red and Orange was Red Gap, where an internal road
terminated at the fence, but there was no gate - it would, however,
have been possible for the USAF to have brought out the missile
convoy through Red Gap.
The evictions were carried out by Council Bailiffs (mainly 'Baldy'
and Willis) eqipped with a refuse muncher truck and a flat-back
lorry for larger furniture items. In the early days of the
evictions they used to steal womens' property without giving the
women time to pack up and leave and physically assault women (see
TV programme Carry Greenham Home). After complaints the Bailiffs
were accompanied by a police escort to ensure they did it legally.
The women were permitted to load all the gear into cars, vans and
onto prams. It is legal to move along the highway, but not to camp.
After the Bailiffs had gone it was possible to return and set up
camp again. This meant that we couldn't leave the camp site, to do
water runs, etc, until after the Bailiffs had been.
A SPIRITED feminist, Labour Party activist and champion of the underdog, Joan Hayman was a mainstay of the Greenham Common peace camp for over 12 years. Source: Obituary: Joan Hayman Old Age Pensioner at the Greenham Common peace camp.
The Independent (London, England) Article date:May 3, 2002.
In the winter of 1985 Newbury District Council decided to evict
the Greenham Women and clear them out forever. This necessitated
making it impossible for women to live on the campsites. 15 Building Bridges
Building bridges between our divisions Dear friend, dear friend. [Source: Feminist Archive South.] [No information about author and composer.] [Second verse added from Chants : This a combination of songs
from the net and personal collections (compiled in this form by
Syrylyn RainbowDragon.) Some of this collection of Pagan songs
was assembled by Walking Stick. [Also typewritten and published in the Anti-nuclear
songbook. Hear Building Bridges and Stand Up [Stand Up and Building Bridges is also recorded by Wild Wimmin for Peace on the MC the Great Peace March, 1986.] Building Bridges was discovered by a British Quaker named
Elizabeth Cave. She heard the song at Greenham Common. Elizabeth
Cave sent the song to the Britain Yearly Meeting children's meeting
newsletter where it was published. Someone else saw it there and
submitted it to Sing Out Magazine, who published it in their RISE
UP SINGING collection. Nick Page’s arrangement of this round,
which was premiered at GA 2002, is published by
Hal Leonard’s Publishing. Building Bridges [Verse of Building Bridges is translated into Danish by the
Danish Women for Peace. Vi bygger broer, |
