Oh the grapes on the vine, They are heavy and they shine, What a bounty of sweetness they yield! But they never would appear To bring their comfort here If it weren't for the workers in the field.
Chorus: The grower is a rich man, His house is large and fine, You think he makes his money From the grapes on the vine. But he coins it from the bodies Of the workers every one Who plant the crop and tend to it, Hoe it and bend to it, Under the burning sun.
You pass on the road And wonder at the load Of braceros who work for little pay, But you never will know The row after row, And the ache and the heat and the spray.
(Chorus)
Your platters are filled From the fields we have tilled, And the fruit and the salads are fine, But the lives of the workers Are pressed into gold Like the grapes are pressed into wine.
(Chorus)
Our harsh, scattered lives Were hard to organize As we followed the crops year by year, But the growers have to yield To the workers in the field Since United Farm Workers is here.
Last Chorus: The grower is a rich man, He can buy and sell The teamsters and the deputies, The newspapers as well. But he cannot buy our union It's just no use to try. We've fought this fight so long and hard Victory is our reward And "Viva la causa!" is our cry. Viva la causa!