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Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down (Hazel Dickens

DigiTrad:
WON'T YOU COME AND SING FOR ME?


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simon-pierre 13 Jun 07 - 03:08 PM
skipy 13 Jun 07 - 03:32 PM
Jim Dixon 14 Jun 07 - 10:22 PM
oldhippie 15 Jun 07 - 01:25 PM
Mick Pearce (MCP) 15 Jun 07 - 05:38 PM
simon-pierre 25 Jun 07 - 03:48 PM
GUEST,Idledevils 23 Aug 07 - 12:45 PM
Stewie 23 Aug 07 - 07:16 PM
Jim Dixon 27 Aug 07 - 06:51 PM
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Subject: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down
From: simon-pierre
Date: 13 Jun 07 - 03:08 PM

I'm surprised I can't find lyrics for this song over the Internet. It is sung by Hazel Dickens and can be found on Coal Mining Women (Rounder). I don't have my copy with me, someone has?

Thanks,
SP


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Subject: Lyr Add: HELLO COAL MINER
From: skipy
Date: 13 Jun 07 - 03:32 PM

Is this it?


Hello. coal miners, I'm so proud to be your friend
For the finest folks I ever knew were coal mining women and men
Were coal mining women and men.
I was born in old Kentucky way back in 1910
My daddy and my brothers, they were all coal mining men
They were all coal mining men.

My daddy was a preacher, but he loaded coal as well
He wanted to spread the word of God, and save poor souls from Hell
And save poor souls from Hell.

He traveled over the mountains, through the heat and through the cold
But he died and went to Heaven when I was twelve years old
He died and went to Heaven when I was twelve years old.

My mother was a Christian, she served God all her life
She worked hard for her children, and she was a miner's wife
She was a miner's wife.

She taught the love of Jesus to women and to men
All colors, all religions, they were my mother's friends
They were my mother's friends.

I married a young coal miner when I was just sixteen
I was the happiest little girl that you have ever seen
I was the happiest little girl that you have ever seen.

My handsome young coal miner, I loved him dear as life
I thought my life would be heaven if I could be his wife
If I could be his wife.

My mother tried to stop me and so did brother Jim
But there's no one in this whole world could stop me loving him
Could stop me loving him.

I didn't want to listen to what they said to me
So we ran away and got married to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
To Cumberland Gap, Tennessee.

He worked in the coal mine, from early morn 'til late
I was afraid he'd breathe in the black damp, or that he'd be killed with slate
Or that he'd be killed with slate.

I was afraid there'd be a fire in the mines, or maybe a cave-in
As so often happens to coal mining men,
As so often happens to coal mining men.

He called our little son to him, and said "Son, please sit down.
I'll want to tell you something. while I'm still around.
Don't ever work in the coal mines, down in the dark cold ground
Always listen to Mother, she'll never let you down
And always listen to Mother, she'll never let you down."

We hugged our little children, told them not to cry
They didn't know their daddy soon was going to die.
They didn't know their daddy soon was going to die.

They come up to a miner's wife, say "I know how you feel"
These dirty, rich aristocrats who never missed a meal
They never spent a lonely night, or heard their children cry
Or had to tell their children why daddy had to die
Or had to tell their children why daddy had to die.

And so my friends I sing my little song to you
Black lung it killed my husband when he was thirty-two
Black lung it killed my husband when he was thirty-two.

And now I'm old and all alone and I will soon be gone
But I want my friends to think of me and always sing this song
And always sing my songs.

Skipy


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Jun 07 - 10:22 PM

This is incomplete because I transcribed it from sound samples. I don't know how much is missing.

THEY'LL NEVER KEEP US DOWN (excerpt)
Hazel Dickens

We've been shot. We've been jailed. Lord, it's a sin.
We minin' little children stuck right by the men.
But we got a union contract that keeps the worker free.
And they'll never shoot that union out of me.

They'll never shoot that union out of me, oh, no,
Never shoot that union out of me.
Got a contract in our hand signed by the blood....

...ev'ry dime they give us, a battle must be fought.
So working people, use your power, the key to liberty.
Don't support that rich man's style of luxury.

There ain't no way they can ever keep us down, oh, no,
Ain't no way they can ever keep us down.
We won't be bought. We won't be sold.
If you treat it right, well, that's their goal.
And there ain't no way they can ever keep us down....

[Sung by Hazel Dickens on 3 albums: "Hard Hitting Songs for Hard Hit People," originally released as an LP 1980, re-released as Rounder CD #126, 2002; the various-artists album "Coal Mining Women," Rounder CD #4025, 1997; and the various-artists album "Harlan County USA: Songs of the Coal Miner's Struggle," Rounder CD #4026, 2006.]


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down
From: oldhippie
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 01:25 PM

Found my "Hard Hit Songs" LP, but, alas, there is no lyric sheet.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down
From: Mick Pearce (MCP)
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 05:38 PM

It was published in Sing Out! vol.26#1, p.21 (See Sing Out! Song Index) if anyone has that.

Mick


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down (Hazel Dic
From: simon-pierre
Date: 25 Jun 07 - 03:48 PM

Thank you to Jim, Mike & others ; we're almost there! My CD's are now unpacked (I moved recently), so I'll check if I can complete.


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Subject: Lyr Add: THEY'LL NEVER KEEP US DOWN (Hazel Dickens
From: GUEST,Idledevils
Date: 23 Aug 07 - 12:45 PM

Here's what I get-

United we stand, divided we fall
For every dime they give us a battle must be fought
So woking people use your power,
the key to Liberty (to keep true liberty?)
Don't support the rich mans style of luxury

There ain't no way they'll ever keep us down oh no
ain't no way they'll ever keep us down
We won't be bought, we won't be sold
we'll be treat right and that's our goal
and there ain't no way they'll ever keep us down

We've been shot and we've been jailed Lord it's a sin
Women and little Children stood right by the men
And we got a union contract that keeps the worker free
and they'll never shoot the union out of me.

they'll never shoot that union out of me
oh no never shoot that union out of me
got a contract in our hand signed by the blood of honest men and they'll never shoot that union outta me.

Well the power wheel is a rolling rollin' right along
and the Government just keeps it going going strong
So working people get you help from your own kind
Your welfare ain't on the rich mans mind

Your welfare ain't on that rich mans mind oh no
Your welfare ain't on that rich mans mind
They want the power in their hands
just to keep down the worker and
Your welfare ain't on that rich mans mind
they'll never never keep us down oh no
they'll never never never keep us down

They can cheat, lie, frame or steal
but we'll stop that big wheel
and they'll never never never keep us down


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down (Hazel Dickens
From: Stewie
Date: 23 Aug 07 - 07:16 PM

Idledevils transcription looks good to me. I reckon 'the key to liberty' is what she sings. My only other comment is that on the recording I listened to - on 'Coal Mining Women' - Hazel sings 'they can ever' rather than 'they'll ever' wherever occurring in the second stanza.

--Stewie.


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Subject: RE: Lyr Req:They'll Never Keep Us Down (Hazel Dickens)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 27 Aug 07 - 06:51 PM

The song that Skipy posted above is HELLO, COAL MINER, as sung by Sarah Ogan Gunning in 1979, which appears on the same album as Hazel Dickens' THEY'LL NEVER KEEP US DOWN, i.e. "They'll Never Keep Us Down" (Rounder 4012, 1984).

Skipy apparently copied and pasted the lyrics from this page in a web site called History in Song (click for the home page)—which looks like a good one. (I think I may have used it, too.)


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