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Girls, Girls, Where Did You Work Last Night? (Homage to the 146 workers who died in the fire of 1911 at the Triangle Factory
I wrote this
song for the 99th Memorial of the Triangle Fire.
Originally I
sang it to the tune of Leadbelly's
"Where
Did You Sleep Last Night"
Then as I
sang it, it found its own blues rhythm.
Girls,
Girls, Where Did You Work Last Night?
Girls! Girls!
Teenage immigrants,
Tell
me, where did you work last night?
Somebody
tell me. C’mon Rose, Sarah, Daisy.
Washington
and Greene, in the factory,
where
the door kept locked, by greed.
O
Girls! Girls! Teenage immigrants,
tell
me where did you go in the fire?
Tessie,
Caterina, Antonietta, somebody tell me.
I
jumped to the street where my bones and concrete meet,
the
sewer, my blood runs through.
Girls
O Girls! Teenage immigrants,
tell
me of your New York dreams.
Rosaria,
Celia, Annie, somebody tell me.
Well
I ran from poverty, persecution, misery.
We
were starving, needed a buck,
I
got on the boat to try my luck.
Made
it 'cross the sea to the wave of Liberty.
Worked
the Triangle Factory, in the New York Garment Industry,
Where
amber waves of flame caught me.
So
I dove for the sky, broken window, promises
Spring
air. I prayed, New York City, catch me!
We
were body makers,
sleeve
makers, sleeve setters,
collar
makers, cuff setters,
yoke
setters,
buttonhole
makers,
tuckers,
closers, hemmers, joiners,
finishers,
pressers,
button
sewers, lace runners,
embroidery
trimmers, thread trimmers, sample makers.
Makers. Joiners.
Finishers.
Makers. Joiners.
Finishers.
O Girls! Girls!
Teenage immigrants,
Tell me, how burning hot is greed?
C’mon
tell me, Sadie, Lina, Josie, Margaret.
Well,
our breath caught the fire, hair and lace, the flames, and cinders
became
our names.
View all episodes
By Annie Lanzillotto
5
1717 ratings
I wrote this
song for the 99th Memorial of the Triangle Fire.
Originally I
sang it to the tune of Leadbelly's
"Where
Did You Sleep Last Night"
Then as I
sang it, it found its own blues rhythm.
Girls,
Girls, Where Did You Work Last Night?
Girls! Girls!
Teenage immigrants,
Tell
me, where did you work last night?
Somebody
tell me. C’mon Rose, Sarah, Daisy.
Washington
and Greene, in the factory,
where
the door kept locked, by greed.
O
Girls! Girls! Teenage immigrants,
tell
me where did you go in the fire?
Tessie,
Caterina, Antonietta, somebody tell me.
I
jumped to the street where my bones and concrete meet,
the
sewer, my blood runs through.
Girls
O Girls! Teenage immigrants,
tell
me of your New York dreams.
Rosaria,
Celia, Annie, somebody tell me.
Well
I ran from poverty, persecution, misery.
We
were starving, needed a buck,
I
got on the boat to try my luck.
Made
it 'cross the sea to the wave of Liberty.
Worked
the Triangle Factory, in the New York Garment Industry,
Where
amber waves of flame caught me.
So
I dove for the sky, broken window, promises
Spring
air. I prayed, New York City, catch me!
We
were body makers,
sleeve
makers, sleeve setters,
collar
makers, cuff setters,
yoke
setters,
buttonhole
makers,
tuckers,
closers, hemmers, joiners,
finishers,
pressers,
button
sewers, lace runners,
embroidery
trimmers, thread trimmers, sample makers.
Makers. Joiners.
Finishers.
Makers. Joiners.
Finishers.
O Girls! Girls!
Teenage immigrants,
Tell me, how burning hot is greed?
C’mon
tell me, Sadie, Lina, Josie, Margaret.
Well,
our breath caught the fire, hair and lace, the flames, and cinders
became
our names.