Forward, Labour Party

[Labor has and always been the Party of change and for the greater good.]

Forward, Labour Party,

Man to man unite;

Freedom's cause help forward,

Work with all your might,

Onward, Labour Party,

Hear the trumpet call,

All your strength uniting,

Monopoly to fall.

Come, ye weary workers,

Do not lag behind;

Join our hands, and strengthen

Those for truth combined,

Onward, then, ye toilers,

March in brave array,

For the morn is breaking

Unto brighter day.

Hear the wealthy brewer,

And the banker bold,

Tell their gulling fable

Of the rights of gold,

Heed ye not their story -

All for self their tale -

Ye have made them wealthy

By your ceaseless toil.

See the struggling widow,

Toiling night and day,

To support her children

On her sweated pay.

Wealthy men they rob her

Of her hard earned gains;

Rob her children also,

Bind them down with chains.

Listen to the landlord;

How he begs and prays

Not to tax him justly

For his evil ways,

Land he wants in plenty,

That he may control

Future generations,

From their work take toll.

See the struggling farmer,

Ploughing through his field,

Sowing seed for harvest -

Not for him the yield.

Mortgagee and landlord

They come in, and take

All the yield at harvest -

Interest their stake.

Look ye to the squatter;

Wages he'll cut down

To the bare existence -

“Shearers, hold your own!”

Down with their monopoly

Greatest curse on earth;

Unite, all ye toilers -

Men of honest worth.

Unite in one army,

Beat back giants strong;

Ever pushing forward,

Though the fight be long.

Onward, Labour Party,

Hear the trumpet call;

Strength to strength uniting,

Monopoly to fall.

                                                              H. Buttery

Brisbane June 30, 1894