Pete Seeger
Lyric guide

The Commonwealth Of Toil

Read The Commonwealth Of Toil lyrics by Pete Seeger on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Pete Seeger visibility2 visits
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Pete Seeger Canonical path: /pete-seeger/the-commonwealth-of-toil Related lyric paths: 6
Lyrics

The Commonwealth Of Toil

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

In the gloom of mighty cities

Mid the roar of whirling wheels

We are toiling on like chattel slaves of old

And our masters hope to keep us

Ever thus beneath their heels

And to coin our very life blood into gold

But we have a glowing dream

Of how fair the world will seem

When each man can live his life secure and free

When the earth is owned by labor

And there's joy and peace for all

In the commonwealth of toil that is to be

They would keep us cowed and beaten

Cringing meekly at their feet

They would stand between each worker and his bread

Shall we yield our lives up to them

For the bitter crust we eat?

Shall we only hope for heaven when we're dead?

But we have a glowing dream

Of how fair the world will seem

When each man can live his life secure and free

When the earth is owned by labor

And there's joy and peace for all

In the commonwealth of toil that is to be

They have laid our lives out for us

To the utter end of time

Shall we stagger on beneath their heavy load?

Shall we let them live forever

In their gilded halls of crime

With our children doomed to toil beneath their goad?

But we have a glowing dream

Of how fair the world will seem

When each man can live his life secure and free

When the earth is owned by labor

And there's joy and peace for all

In the commonwealth of toil that is to be

When our cause is all triumphant

And we claim our Mother Earth

And the nightmare of the present fades away

We shall live with love and laughter

We who now are little worth

And we'll not regret the price we have to pay

But we have a glowing dream

Of how fair the world will seem

When each man can live his life secure and free

When the earth is owned by labor

And there's joy and peace for all

In the commonwealth of toil that is to be

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "The Commonwealth Of Toil"?

Pete Seeger performs "The Commonwealth Of Toil", and this lyric page sits inside the Pete Seeger catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "The Commonwealth Of Toil"?

Yes. The related section below points to Teacher Uncle Ho and Garden Song with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Pete Seeger?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Pete Seeger's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on The Commonwealth Of Toil yet.