[Verse 1]
When they give you gun and tell you war has begun
And send you out to do some murder
Don t fight on their wars defy all their bourgeois laws
Class brothers must not shoot one another
[Chorus]
In imperialist wars workers give their lives
The ruling class makes no sacrifice
We have no choice if we want to live in peace
Don t die for them but bring them to their knees
[Verse 2]
Before the first world war, labour leaders hotly swore
That by the working class they d stand
But when the capitalist called, on their well-worn knees they crawled
To fight for their glorious homeland
When the spectre of world war comes knocking at the door
Class traitors start to howl
But we don t have to fear, it means the time is getting near
When the working class shall rule
[Chorus]
In imperialist wars workers give their lives
The ruling class makes no sacrifice
We have no choice if we want to live in peace
Don t die for them but bring them to their knees
[Verse 3]
Some say the British empire has finally expired
And its rulers lost all life
But if that s so we would like to know why in many lands across the globe
they still wield their butchers knife
In lands across the sea they re now fighting to be free
Their demand is to rule themselves
We ve got a common cause we must support them in their wars
By fighting to free ourselves
[Chorus]
In imperialist wars workers give their lives
The ruling class makes no sacrifice
We have no choice if we want to live in peace
Don t die for them but bring them to their knees
