Phil Ochs
Hands
[Verse 1]
I've seen the hands of the laborer
Lifting all the loads
Granite stuck to their fingers
As they built the canals and the roads
Now they're cleared and the bridges span
Rivers paused by a power dam
And now, the hand of the laborer is reaching out to you

[Chorus]
Oh, the hands, hands, hands
That work to build the land, land, your land
The labor of the woman and the man working with their hands

[Verse 2]
I've seen the hands of the miner
Digging out the coal
Black dust stuck to their fingers
As they lived their lives in a hole
Now the rock it's still under the ground
And the mine is closing down
And now, the hand of the miner is reaching out to you

[Chorus]
Oh, the hands, hands, hands
That work to build the land, land, your land
The labor of the woman and the man working with their hands
[Verse 3]
I've seen the hands of the lumberjack
Forests swaying in the breeze
Splinters stuck to their fingers
As the lumber was torn from the trees
Now the wood from your timbers tall
Has built your buildings from wall to wall
And now, the hand of the lumberjack is reaching out to you

[Chorus]
Oh, the hands, hands, hands
That work to build the land, land, your land
The labor of the woman and the man working with their hands

[Verse 4]
I've seen the hands of the farmer
Plowing across the field
Topsoil stuck to their fingers
As the earth was split by the steel
Growing all that they could grow
To fill your tables row after row
And now, the hand of the farmer is reaching out to you

[Chorus]
Oh, the hands, hands, hands
That work to build the land, land, your land
The labor of the woman and the man working with their hands
Working with their hands
Working with their hands, hands, hands
Working with their hands