The Crew's Book of Hermitcraft Season Six Oneshots

Which Side Are You On?

Impulse sat down next to Ren as they waited for Grian by the campfire. He messed with his flower crown, trying to get it to rest on his head in a more comfortable way.

"So," he asked, deciding his attempts were fruitless. "How do you usually spend the evenings around here?"

Ren smiled, picking up his guitar from the side of the log. He gave it a small strum, and turned to face Impulse, eyes twinkling.

"How about this? I'll show you."

He began to play a small tune, the introduction to a song. He quietly cleared his throat, and began to sing.

"Come all you good workers,
Good news to you I'll tell.
Of how the good old union,
Has come here to dwell."

The tune floated through the air, warming Impulse's heart. If he knew the words, he would have sang along.

"Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?"

Grian arrived as Ren entered the chorus, grinning and joining in as he sat across from the two already. He and Ren nodded at each other, and Grian picked up the next verse.

"My dad, he was a miner,
He's now in the air and sun.
He'll be with you fellow workers,
Until the battle's won."

Both Ren and Impulse joined in for this chorus, their voices rising far into the night as the moon rose over their heads.

"Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?"

Ren looked at Impulse, who seemed caught off-guard. Ren nodded patiently, and took up the mantle of the verse once more.

"They say in Harlem county,
There are no neutrals there.
You'll either be a union man,
Or a thug for J. H. Claire."

Grian began to clap the rhythm, Impulse joining in after a line of the chorus. The song was almost at its peak, and one could practically feel the air buzzing with peace and joy.

"Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?"

Grian's voice once again rose to the top for a verse, echoing across the landscape for everyone to hear.

"Oh workers can you stand it?
Don't tell me how you can.
Will you be a lousy scab,
Or will you be a man?"

The song began to slowly become softer as the end approached, the three hippies singing together in friendship.

"Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?"

Ren was about to take the final verse when Impulse's voice cut in, albeit quietly. A smile spread across all three faces as he did so, carrying the song to its final chorus.

"Don't scab for the bosses,
Don't listen to their lies.
Poor folks ain't got a chance,
Unless they organise."

The three joined together in one last harmony that could have brought tears to anyone's eyes in a moment. This was the real power behind the hippie commune. Three friends, having a grand time.

"Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?"

And, as Ren closed the song in a diminishing outro, an unexpected audience member took his hat off in respect. For the performance even made a general weep.

I love this song. I have no excuse, it's just an old favourite. You know the mood.
In other news, school's back in, so I'm gonna have more inspiration and less sleep, meaning more chapters overall.
OdalRune, signing off from the past!