My great-grandad (paternal grandfathers father) sang this while having his arm cut off following an accident down the coal mine! Nothing to do with the song of course but adds a bit of colour:-) He went on to teach boxing at the youth club in Pendlebury that eventualy because home to the Russian Orthodox church that my paternal grandfather held services at. Serendipity or what? I never knew it was a black-face song. Sort of makes it more apt for singing down the coal mine I suppose!

Cheers

Dave