Recording
World Turned Upside Down
Sung by Alan Murphy
Alan Murphy
Diggers 1649
World Turned Upside Down (Leon Rosselson)
1
In 1649
To St George’s Hill
A ragged band they called the Diggers
Came to show the people’s will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed
Reclaiming what was theirs
2
We come in peace, they said
To dig and sow
We come to work the land in common
And to make the waste ground grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it will be
A common treasury for all
3
The sin of property
We do disdain
No one has any right to buy and sell
This earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Spring up with their command
4
They make the laws
To chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven
Or they damn us into hell
We will not worship
The God they serve
The God of greed who feeds the rich
While poor folk starve
5
We work and eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow to the masters
Or pay rent to the lords
We are free folk
Though we are poor
You Diggers all stand up for the glory
Stand up now
6
From the men of property
The orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers
To wipe out the Diggers’ claim
Tear down their cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed
Only the vision lingers on
7
You poor take courage
You rich take care
This earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
All people one
We come in peace
The orders came to cut them down
Diggers 1649
Diggers 1649
Diggers 1649
Diggers 1649
Levellers Declaration and Standard
Levellers and DiggersFrom A Ballad History of England, Palmer
by Gerard Winstanley (1695)You noble Diggers all, stand up now, stand up now, You noble Diggers all, stand up now, The wast land to maintain, seeing Cavaliers by name Your digging does maintain, and persons all defame Stand up now, stand up now. Your houses they pull down, stand up now, stand up now, Your houses they pull down, stand up now. Your houses they pull down to fright your men in town But the gentry must come down, and the poor shall wear the crown. Stand up now, Diggers all. With spades and hoes and plowes, stand up now, stand up now With spades and hoes and plowes stand up now, Your freedom to uphold, seeing Cavaliers are bold To kill you if they could, and rights from you to hold. Stand up now, Diggers all. Theire self-will is theire law, stand up now, stand up now, Theire self-will is theire law, stand up now. Since tyranny came in they count it now no sin To make a gaol a gin, to starve poor men therein. Stand up now, Diggers all. The gentrye are all round, stand up now, stand up now, The gentrye are all round, stand up now. The gentrye are all round, on each side they are found, Theire wisdom's so profound, to cheat us of our ground Stand up now, stand up now. The lawyers they conjoyne, stand up now, stand up now, The lawyers they conjoyne, stand up now, To arrest you they advise, such fury they devise, The devill in them lies, and hath blinded both their eyes. Stand up now, stand up now. The clergy they come in, stand up now, stand up now, The clergy they come in, stand up now. The clergy they come in, and say it is a sin That we should now begin, our freedom for to win. Stand up now, Diggers all. The tithes they yet will have, stand up now, stand up now, The tithes they yet will have, stand up now. The tithes they yet will have, and lawyers their fees crave, And this they say is brave, to make the poor their slave. Stand up now, Diggers all. 'Gainst lawyers and 'gainst Priests, stand up now, stand up now, 'Gainst lawyers and 'gainst Priests stand up now. For tyrants they are both even flatt againnst their oath, To grant us they are loath free meat and drink and cloth. Stand up now, Diggers all. The club is all their law, stand up now, stand up now, The club is all their law, stand up now. The club is all their law to keep men in awe, But they no vision saw to maintain such a law. Stand up now, Diggers all. The Cavaleers are foes, stand up now, stand up now, The Cavaleers are foes, stand up now; The Cavaleers are foes, themselves they do disclose By verses not in prose to please the singing boyes. Stand up now, Diggers all. To conquer them by love, come in now, come in now To conquer them by love, come in now; To conquer them by love, as itt does you behove, For hee is King above, noe power is like to love, Glory heere, Diggers all.