no one's gonna hold them down today   they're ready to fight for their rights on may   3rd, 1886 chicago burned with the fire   they lit the workers were on strike   cause money's tight the pigs were out and looking for a fight   they opened fire into the crowd   a worker was hit and he went down      [Chorus:]   no one's gonna hold them down   no! they're gonna burn this fuckin' town      august spies denounced capitalism   but he urged no violence   he was addressing a crowd   of workers the pigs ordered him silenced   a bomb was thrown and the sirens wailed   a pig laid dead and they were jailed   that day the system failed   you know it never fails      [Chorus]      if you think you can crush these ideas   that are gaining ground more each day   if death is the penalty for proclaiming   truth then i'll proudly and defiantly pay   four men were sentenced to death to set an example   to all the rest who would dare   to stand up and protest   the injustices we all detest      [Chorus]