13 Jun 07 - 03:08 PM (#2076059) Subject: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down From: simon-pierre 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 |
13 Jun 07 - 03:32 PM (#2076071) Subject: Lyr Add: HELLO COAL MINER From: skipy 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 |
14 Jun 07 - 10:22 PM (#2077452) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down From: Jim Dixon 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.] |
15 Jun 07 - 01:25 PM (#2077963) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down From: oldhippie Found my "Hard Hit Songs" LP, but, alas, there is no lyric sheet. |
15 Jun 07 - 05:38 PM (#2078189) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down From: Mick Pearce (MCP) It was published in Sing Out! vol.26#1, p.21 (See Sing Out! Song Index) if anyone has that. Mick |
25 Jun 07 - 03:48 PM (#2086743) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down (Hazel Dic From: simon-pierre 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. |
23 Aug 07 - 12:45 PM (#2132065) Subject: Lyr Add: THEY'LL NEVER KEEP US DOWN (Hazel Dickens From: GUEST,Idledevils 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 |
23 Aug 07 - 07:16 PM (#2132318) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: They'll Never Keep Us Down (Hazel Dickens From: Stewie 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. |
27 Aug 07 - 06:51 PM (#2134880) Subject: RE: Lyr Req:They'll Never Keep Us Down (Hazel Dickens) From: Jim Dixon 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.) |