It was early springtime, when the strike was on
You drove us miners out of our doors
Out of the houses that the company owned
Into the tents of the little Ludlow

We were worried bad about our children
State troopers guarded the railway bridge
Every once in a while, a bullet would fly
Kick up gravel around our feet

We were so afraid that you'd kill our children
That we dug a cave that was seven foot deep
Took the children and the pregnant women
Down inside the cave to sleep

It was late that night, the soldiers waited
Till all us miners were asleep
Crept around our little camptown
And soaked our tents in kerosene

Well they struck a match and the blaze had started
They pulled the triggers on their gatling guns
Made a run for the children but the firewall stopped me
And thirteen children died from their guns

I took my blanket to wire fence corner
And I watched the flames till the blaze died down
Saw some folks drag their belongings
While your bullets killed them all around

Well I rang the governor for to phone up the president
Tell him call off the National Guard
But the National Guard belonged to the governor
I guess he didn't try very hard

I never will forget the looks on the faces
Of the men and women that awful day
As they stood around to preach the funeral
And lay the corpses of the dead away

Well the women from Trinidad drug some potatoes
Up to Wallensburg in a little cart
They sold the potatoes and they brought some guns back
And put a gun in every hand

Twas late that night when the troopers charged us
They didn't know that we had guns
And the red-necked miners, they shot the soldiers
You should have seen them bastards run

We took some cement and walled the cave up
Where the thirteen little children died
I thanked God for the Mine Workers Union
And then I hung my head and cried