The Poor Man's Family

I am a roving Irishman, 
I sailed from Greenland's shore
To drive the hungry wolves away,
From the poor old landsman's door 

Chorus:
Oh give us pay for every day
That's all we ask of the
For it's right that we're out upon a strike
For the poor man's family

The rich man's home by the cheery fire
And their horses swift and strong
If the poor man should ask for a crust
They'll tell him that he's wrong

You take your ribbons in your hand 
And go and plow for me
You can die or live, I'll have nothing to give
For the poor man's family

They'll bring their Italians over here
And Negros from the South
Thinking they can do our work
Take the bread from the poor man's mouth

And the American children they must starve?
To that we'll not agree
To be put down like a worm in the ground
For to starve a family

From Joe Hickerson, also in an old People's Songbook, 
it's supposed to be about a strike of longshoremen in the 1890s