Politics and music remained closely intertwined with the members' political beliefs, which were far-left and occasionally led to controversial associations with the Communist Party USA. Their first release, an album called Songs For John Doe, urged non-intervention in World War II, and was made with the help of Eric Bernay (of Keynote), Joe Thompson (of NBC), Nicholas Ray (future film director) and Alan Lomax (musicologist). The second album was Talking Union, a collection of labor songs, many of which were intensely anti-Roosevelt.
Songs for John Doe, Talking Union (Two Original Albums, 1941)
More recordings followed, but blacklisting and internal friction soon drove the group apart. Seeger and Hays founded communal homes called Almanac Houses, but the group fell apart soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
After the war, Seeger and Hays, later joined by two of Hays' young friends, Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman, began singing together again at fund-raising folk dances, with a repertoire geared to international folk music. The new singing group, appearing for a while in 1949 under the rubric, "The Nameless Quartet", changed their name to The Weavers and went on to achieve great renown.
Liza Jane
The Almanac Singers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She sleeps in her kitchen with her feet in the hall, little Liza Jane.
Oh! Won't you... Oh! Eliza, little Liza Jane,
Oh! Won't you... Oh! Eliza, little Liza Jane.
I'm gonna marry her if I can...
She loves me 'cause I'm a union man...
Heard a speech by the President...
I went to the draft and stood in line...
Now I'm a number 609...
Said in Congress yesterday...
"Take the right to strike away..."
They say that labor camps are fine...
To make the young folk toe the line...
I can't marry you today...
I can't afford it on my pay...
Cut the pay and raise the rents...
It's all for national defense...
Better make the government change its plan...
I aim to be a married man...
Dry your tears, get out your knittin'...
I don't aim to be no bundle for Britain...
The Almanac Singers' song "Liza Jane" tells the story of a Union man who has a love interest named Liza Jane in Arkansas. The first two lines reveal that Liza Jane sleeps in her kitchen with her feet in the hall. The singer then goes on to sing, "Oh! Won't you... Oh! Eliza, little Liza Jane," expressing his affection towards her. He proclaims that he will marry her if he can and that she loves him because he is a Union man. The song then takes a political turn as he talks about how he heard a speech by the President and that he wants to put him in a regiment.
The verses continue on to explain how the singer goes to the draft, and because of his strong beliefs in being a Union man, he becomes number 609. The song then takes a darker turn as it talks about how Congress wants to take away the right to strike and suggests labor camps to make the youth toe the line. The singer expresses his frustration about not being able to afford to marry Liza Jane, pointing out how the government is cutting pay and raising rents, all in the name of national defense. The last line of the song says, "Dry your tears, get out your knittin'...I don't aim to be no bundle for Britain," a reference to the United States' involvement in World War II and the singer's intention to resist being drafted.
Overall, "Liza Jane" is a political and romantic song that ties together themes of love, war, labor rights, and political dissent.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a girl in Arkansas, little Liza Jane, She sleeps in her kitchen with her feet in the hall, little Liza Jane.
I have a girlfriend named Liza Jane in Arkansas. She sleeps in a small kitchen with her feet in the narrow hall.
Oh! Won't you... Oh! Eliza, little Liza Jane, Oh! Won't you... Oh! Eliza, little Liza Jane.
The singer is requesting Liza Jane's attention in the form of an affectionate call.
I'm gonna marry her if I can... She loves me 'cause I'm a union man...
The singer plans to marry Liza Jane and she admires him for being a union man.
Heard a speech by the President... Wants to put me in a regiment...
The singer saw the President's speech about conscription and worries that he may soon be drafted.
I went to the draft and stood in line... Now I'm a number 609...
The singer has gone through the draft process and now has a number assigned to him.
Said in Congress yesterday... "Take the right to strike away..."
Congress is currently discussing taking away the right to strike from labor workers.
They say that labor camps are fine... To make the young folk toe the line...
There are rumors that labor camps may be used to force young workers into following orders.
I can't marry you today... I can't afford it on my pay...
The singer cannot afford to marry Liza Jane at the moment due to his low wages.
Cut the pay and raise the rents... It's all for national defense...
The government has made cuts to workers' wages and increased rent in the name of national defense.
Better make the government change its plan... I aim to be a married man...
The singer wants the government to change its policies so he can afford to marry Liza Jane.
Dry your tears, get out your knittin'... I don't aim to be no bundle for Britain...
The singer is telling Liza Jane not to cry and to focus on knitting. He also declares his intention not to be drafted to fight for Britain.
Writer(s): Reed Nielsen, Vince Gill, Vincent Gill
Contributed by Adrian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.