Wasn't That a Time? (Lee Hayes, Walter Lowenfels)
Adapted from raymondfolk.com
Arguably one of the most politically controversial songs ever written in America,
this song was used as evidence by the House Committee on Un-American Activities
in questioning Lee Hayes and Pete Seeger about their supposed support for the
spread of Communism. Hayes pled the fifth, while Seeger refused to answer on
First Amendment grounds, specifically about where and for whom he had played
this song, and was found in contempt of the committee.
The song has been sung by others, most notably Peter, Paul, and Mary, who
recorded a lively version on their 1965 release "A Song Will Rise." What's
left of Jefferson Airplane has done it live in the last decade or so.
I don't believe any one version has every one of these verses, and there
are live recordings of Pete Seeger doing it by himself that has at least
one additional verse. This is an approximation of the way the song was
usually performed. The walk-downs from C to A minor are more a feature
of the Peter, Paul, and Mary version, but fit perfectly well with any
Weavers recording.
[Verse]
C D
Our fathers bled at Valley Forge.
C D
The snow was red with blood,
C Bm Am D
Their faith was waaa-aaa-aaarm at Valley Forge,
G F#m Em A7 D
Their faaaa-aaa-aith was brother-hood.
[Chorus]
D Am
Wasn't that a time, wasn't that a time,
D C D
A time to try the soul of man,
C D
Wasn't that a terrible time?
[Verse]
C D
Brave men who died at Gettysburg
C D
Now lie in soldier's graves,
C Bm Am D
But there they steee-eee-emmed the slavery tide,
G F#m Em A7 D
And the-eee-ere the faith was saved.
[Chorus]
D Am
Wasn't that a time, wasn't that a time,
D C D
A time to try the soul of man,
C D
Wasn't that a terrible time?
[Verse]
C D
The fascists came with chains and war
C D
To prison us in hate.
C Bm Am D
And many a go-ooo-od man fought and died
G F#m Em A7 D
To sa-aaa-ave the stricken faith.
[Chorus]
D Am
Wasn't that a time, wasn't that a time,
D C D
A time to try the soul of man,
C D
Wasn't that a terrible time?
[Verse]
C D
And now again the madmen come,
C D
And should our vic'try fail?
C Bm Am D
There is no vi-iii-ic'try in a land
G F#m Em A7 D
Where fre-eee-ee men go to jail.
[Chorus]
D
Isn't this a time!
Am
Isn't this a time!
D C D
A time to try the soul of man,
C D
Isn't this a terrible time?
[Verse]
C D
Our faith cries out we have no fear
C D
We dare to reach our hand
C Bm Am D
To other ne-eee-eighbors far and near
G F#m Em A7 D
To frie-eee-ends in every land.
[Chorus 3]
D
Isn't this a time!
Am
Isn't this a time!
D C D
A time to free the soul of man!
C D
Isn't this a wonderful time!
[Two additional verses written by Lee Hays and sung at the 1980 Weavers reunion]
C D
How many times we've gone to kill
C D
In freedom's holy name.
C Bm Am D
And children died to save the pride
G F#m Em A7 D
Of rulers without shame.
C D
Informers took their Judas pay
C D
To tell their sorry tale
G F#m Em A7 D
And gangs in Congress had their way
G F#m Em A7 D
And free souls went to jail
