Origins: Springhill Disaster/Ballad of Springhill

Subject: Chords and Lyrics to Ballad of Spring Hill
From: Harmony
Date: 06 May 98 - 10:54 AM

I am looking for the chords and lyrics to Ballad of Spring Hill (Spring Hill Disaster) sung by Peter Paul & Mary

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Springhill disaster
From: ron k
Date: 03 Jun 97 - 07:59 PM

Actually there was a song written about the Westray disaster. When they did the Halifax benefit for the families, I recall the sister of one of the victims opening the concert with a song about the explosion but I have never heard it again. I will check around the local music stores and with some musician friends to see what may have happened to it. If I find it I will post it.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Springhill disaster
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 02 Jun 97 - 07:23 PM

Hi- Actually there were two big Springhill mine disasters-- the earlier one being in 1891. The database has two songs about that one as well as Peggy Seeger's better known one.

If you can't be sure whether to search for Springhill or Spring Hill, you could use the wild card and search for Spring*. or the phrase [Nova Scotia]. Or, as has been mentioned, disaster.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Springhill disaster
From: Peter Timmerman
Date: 02 Jun 97 - 10:30 AM

Dear Frank, I don't know about a song, but there was a beautiful poem written about it, short fragments of voices (do I remember anything more about it than that, of course not). Someone once sent it to me, from the Canadian Globe and Mail. Yours, Peter

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Springhill disaster
From:
Date: 02 Jun 97 - 12:35 AM

At the risk of seeming morbid I suggest that the miners who died at Westray deserve a song memorial as well. Has one been written?

Frank Phillips

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Springhill disaster
From: ron k
Date: 01 Jun 97 - 07:46 PM

Great song. For the record, it was written in 1961 by Peggy Seeger. It was recorded by various people including Peter, Paul and Mary.

As for the town, like Joe said, the focal point is the Anne Murray museum, and the prison, now that mining is considered too dangerous. This is the same coal seam that was being mined 5 years ago at Westray when an explosion took the lives of 26 more miners.

Subject: RE: LYR REQ: Springhill disaster
From: Joe Offer
Date: 31 May 97 - 07:16 AM

There are two versions of this song in the database. Sometimes, it's a little hard to find things in the database until you get used to it. A search under "disaster" should pull up both songs. I've seen Springhill written as both one word and two, so that might make it a little harder to search.

Not much happening in Springhill these days. The mine is open only for tourists, but now they're proposing open pit mining. The town has the biggest prison I've ever seen, and there's a center to honor Springhill's most famous offspring, Anne Murray.

-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: SPRINGHILL DISASTER
From: Greg Furness
Date: 31 May 97 - 06:51 AM

Hello! It has been about 25 years since I've thought of this song so the following may not be complete or entirely correct; perhaps someone else will correct my mistakes. Seem to recall a version was recorded by Ian & Sylvia in the mid to late '60s---

In the town of Springhill Nova Scotia
Down in the dark of the Cumberland Mine
There is blood on the coal and the miners lie
On roads that never saw sun or sky
Roads that never saw sun or sky

Down at the coal face the miners working
Clatter of the belt and the cutter's blade
A rumble of rocks and the walls close round
Living and the dead men two miles down
Living and the dead men two miles down

Three days passed and the lamps gave out
And old Caleb Rushton he up and said
We've got no water, nor light, nor bread
So we'll live on songs and hope instead
Live on songs and hope instead

Eight days passed and some were rescued
Leaving the dead to lie alone
Through all their lived they dug their graves
Two miles of earth for a marking stone
Two miles of earth for a marking stone

In the town of Springhill you don't sleep easy
Often the earth will tremble and roll
When the earth is restless, miners die
Bone and blood is the price of coal
Bone and blood is the price of coal.

Hope this helps.

Subject: LYR REQ: Springhill disaster
From:
Date: 31 May 97 - 02:38 AM

I would like to know the lyrics of a song sung by The Dubliners - The title should be Springhill disaster; it tells about a disaster in a cave.

The lyrics starts with:

In the town of Springhill in Nova Scotia/down in the dark of the ?/there's blood on the coal and the miners lye/in roads that never saw sun nor sky...

My english is not good enough, soI cant understand the rest.

Thank you!