Joshua says he'll
Back the sugarcane strikers,
But he bails instead.
Breaking news from St. Vincent in the Caribbean: Ebenezer Joshua, head of the labor union, goes on vacation while the sugar cane workers strike. Three men die as a result. Or so says Eric von Schmidt, who wrote this song about the trade union leader and later politician, assemblyman and chief minister of this poor island nation. Supporters of Joshua say this reading is erroneous.
Dylan's performances of the song can be found on volume 11 of the Bootleg Series, which is a compilation of the 1967 Basement Tapes sessions, as well as the third volume of the super-rare 50th Anniversary Collection. That version features him performing the song with von Schmidt.
Cane standin' in the fields gettin' old and red
Lot of misery in Georgetown dreamin' layin' dead
Joshua head of the government he said strike for better pay
Cane cutters are strikin' but Joshua gone away
Joshua gone Barbados staying in a big hotel
People on St Vincent got many sad tales to tell
The sugar mill owner told the strikers I don't need you to cut my cane
Bring me another bunch of fellas your strike be all in vain
Get a bunch of tough fellas bring 'em from Zion Hill
Bring 'em in a bus to Georgetown know somebody could kill
Sunny Child the overseer I swear he's an ignorant man
Walkin' the the canefields pistol in his hand
Joshua gone Barbados just like he don't know people on the island got no place to go
Police givin' protection new fellas cuttin' the cane
Strikers can't do nothin' strike be all in vain
Sunny Child cussed the strikers wave his pistol round
They're beatin' Sunny with the cutlers beat him to the ground
There's a lot of misery in Georgetown you can hear all the women bawl
Joshua gone Barbados he don't care at all
Cane standin' in the fields gettin' old and red
Sunny Child in the hospital pistol on his bed
I wish I could go to England Trinidad or Curacao
People on the island got no place to go
Joshua gone Barbados stayin' in a big hotel
People on St Vincent got many sad tales to tell
Back the sugarcane strikers,
But he bails instead.
Breaking news from St. Vincent in the Caribbean: Ebenezer Joshua, head of the labor union, goes on vacation while the sugar cane workers strike. Three men die as a result. Or so says Eric von Schmidt, who wrote this song about the trade union leader and later politician, assemblyman and chief minister of this poor island nation. Supporters of Joshua say this reading is erroneous.
Dylan's performances of the song can be found on volume 11 of the Bootleg Series, which is a compilation of the 1967 Basement Tapes sessions, as well as the third volume of the super-rare 50th Anniversary Collection. That version features him performing the song with von Schmidt.
Cane standin' in the fields gettin' old and red
Lot of misery in Georgetown dreamin' layin' dead
Joshua head of the government he said strike for better pay
Cane cutters are strikin' but Joshua gone away
Joshua gone Barbados staying in a big hotel
People on St Vincent got many sad tales to tell
The sugar mill owner told the strikers I don't need you to cut my cane
Bring me another bunch of fellas your strike be all in vain
Get a bunch of tough fellas bring 'em from Zion Hill
Bring 'em in a bus to Georgetown know somebody could kill
Sunny Child the overseer I swear he's an ignorant man
Walkin' the the canefields pistol in his hand
Joshua gone Barbados just like he don't know people on the island got no place to go
Police givin' protection new fellas cuttin' the cane
Strikers can't do nothin' strike be all in vain
Sunny Child cussed the strikers wave his pistol round
They're beatin' Sunny with the cutlers beat him to the ground
There's a lot of misery in Georgetown you can hear all the women bawl
Joshua gone Barbados he don't care at all
Cane standin' in the fields gettin' old and red
Sunny Child in the hospital pistol on his bed
I wish I could go to England Trinidad or Curacao
People on the island got no place to go
Joshua gone Barbados stayin' in a big hotel
People on St Vincent got many sad tales to tell
Well another precise analysis in 3 lines. What to do when the words run out? Listen http://thebobdylanproject.com/Song/id/336/Joshua-Gone-Barbados from Bob Dylan's Music Box
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