Our fathers bled at Valley Forge.
The snow was red with blood,
Their faith was warm at Valley Forge,
Their faith was brotherhood.
[Chorus:]
Wasn't that a time, wasn't that a time,
A time to try the soul of man,
Wasn't that a terrible time?
Brave men who died at Gettysburg
Now lie in soldier's graves,
But there they stemmed the slavery tide,
And there the faith was saved.
[Chorus]
The fascists came with chains and war
To prison us in hate.
And many a good man fought and died
To save the stricken faith.
[Chorus]
And now again the madmen come,
And should our vic'try fail?
There is no vic'try in a land
Where free men go to jail.
Isn't this a time!
Isn't this a time!
A time to try the soul of man,
Isn't this a terrible time?
Our faith cries out we have no fear
We dare to reach our hand
To other neighbors far and near
To friends in every land.
Isn't this a time!
Isn't this a time!
A time to free the soul of man!
Isn't this a wonderful time!
[Two additional verses written by Lee Hays and sung at the 1980 Weavers reunion:]
How many times we've gone to kill
In freedom's holy name.
And children died to save the pride
Of rulers without shame.
Informers took their Judas pay
To tell their sorry tale
And gangs in Congress had their way
And free souls went to jail.
The snow was red with blood,
Their faith was warm at Valley Forge,
Their faith was brotherhood.
[Chorus:]
Wasn't that a time, wasn't that a time,
A time to try the soul of man,
Wasn't that a terrible time?
Brave men who died at Gettysburg
Now lie in soldier's graves,
But there they stemmed the slavery tide,
And there the faith was saved.
[Chorus]
The fascists came with chains and war
To prison us in hate.
And many a good man fought and died
To save the stricken faith.
[Chorus]
And now again the madmen come,
And should our vic'try fail?
There is no vic'try in a land
Where free men go to jail.
Isn't this a time!
Isn't this a time!
A time to try the soul of man,
Isn't this a terrible time?
Our faith cries out we have no fear
We dare to reach our hand
To other neighbors far and near
To friends in every land.
Isn't this a time!
Isn't this a time!
A time to free the soul of man!
Isn't this a wonderful time!
[Two additional verses written by Lee Hays and sung at the 1980 Weavers reunion:]
How many times we've gone to kill
In freedom's holy name.
And children died to save the pride
Of rulers without shame.
Informers took their Judas pay
To tell their sorry tale
And gangs in Congress had their way
And free souls went to jail.