The Battle Hymn of Cooperation

Sung to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic (which itself was an adaptation of John Brown's Body, a marching song of the American Civil War), this song was widely popular throughout the American consumers' cooperative movement from the 1930s onward. It remained a favorite until well after the Second World War, for example at the annual meetings of the Consumers Cooperative Association of Missouri, where thousands of members joined in singing it. The hymn can be considered as the official song of the Cooperative League of the USA (CLUSA), later renamed the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA).

The hymn was originally written in February 1932 for a charity revue of the Consumers Cooperative Services, which operated a chain of cooperative cafeterias in New York City. The authors were two CCS workers: Elizabeth Mead (of the bakery) and Carl Ferguson (a busboy), who won a $5 prize for composing “the best song on cooperation”. It is likely that the cooperative version of the hymn was influenced by the popular union song "Solidarity Forever", written by Ralph Chaplin in 1915.

Battle Hymn of Cooperation

Oh, we are a mighty army,
though we bear no sword and gun,
We’re enlisted ’till the struggle
for cooperation’s won,
And beneath our banner blazoned
“One for all and all for one,"
Consumers marching on!

"Chorus:"
Come and let us work together
Come and let us work together
Come and let us work together
Consumers marching on!

It was long ago in Rochdale
that our cause saw first the light,
We were sadly few in numbers
but our principles were right,
But today we count our millions
as we girt ourselves to fight:
Consumers marching on!

"Chorus"

Oh, the world today is suffering
filled with poverty and pain,
And the day has come for freedom
from the curse of private gain,
For all may live in comfort
’neath Cooperation’s reign.
Consumers marching on!

"Chorus"

Oh we know our scheme is righteous
and we know our cause is just;
For upon the brotherhood of man
we firmly base our trust:
Let us strive to win the victory,
for win we can and must.
Consumers marching on!

"Chorus"

Further reading

*“The Battle Hymn of Cooperation”, "Cooperation" XVIII,5 (May 1932) 91.
*“A Mighty Army”, "Time" (December 10, 1951).
*Clarke Chambers, “The Cooperative League of the United States of America, 1916-1961: A Study of Social Theory and Social Action”, "Agricultural History" 36,2 (1962) 59-81, there 72.
*Gilbert C. Fite, "Farm to Factory. A History of the Consumers Cooperative Association" (Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press, 1965) 130-131.