Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda

Subject: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes...
From: GUEST,Ffred Clegg
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 06:02 PM

I'm trying to find the lyrics to "When the Coal Comes From the Rhondda" but sadly can't.

Cheers

Ffred

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes...
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 02:20 PM

its on Calennigs record made by sain,try contacting Splott Man or Dr PRICE.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: GUEST,Ffred Clegg
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 06:06 PM

I've got the very album.

Unfortunately it doesn't have the lyrics on it, and despite many listenings, I can't quite make out the 3rd (I think) verse

"The owners ride in carriages, something something something
While the miner walks and gasps for breath, his lungs are full of stone"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: breezy
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 06:23 PM

and the album is called?

and it can be obtained at?

and who sings it?

can the author help us with the line?

Its a case for splotto

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 07:13 PM

"For the owner rides in carriages and breathes pure air alone,
But the miner walks and gasps for breath, his lungs are full of stone"

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: My guru always said
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 07:34 PM

Cheers Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Scooby Doo
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 07:45 PM

I know you be about somewhere Mick.
Scooby

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 07:50 PM

Well I'm watching Woody Allen's Sweet And Lowdown and rehearsing a classical guitar duet, but in between I've just time to supply missing words to Mudcat. (Did I mention the juggling and tightrope walking?)

MGAS aren't you rehearsing?

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Leadfingers
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 08:17 PM

Mick - Rhiannon should be doing the multi tasking , NOT you !!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 04 Dec 04 - 08:27 PM

Brain the size of a planet Terry (and everything else in proportion), so I've always got spare capacity!

Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Snuffy
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 10:35 AM

Why not post the whole thing, Mick? And a bit of historical info, if you can. It might even get into the DT.

WassaiL! V

Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN THE COAL COMES FROM THE RHONDDA
From: GUEST,MCP
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 10:49 AM

OK. Here it is. The tune is When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder. According to the notes it was written as a fund-raising song during a miners' lock-out at Tonypandy in 1911. (The parts of the chorus in parentheses are sung as a response to the main line).

Mick

---

WHEN THE COAL COMES FROM THE RHONDDA

Oh you men of Tonypandy who dig the veins of coal,
  With me little pick and shovel I'll be there.
For the boss may own the colliery but he'll never own your soul.
  With me little pick and shovel I'll be there.

Chorus:
  When the coal (Oh when the coal) comes from The Rhondda,
  When the coal (Oh when the coal) comes from The Rhondda,
  With me shovel and me pick and me little lamp and wick,
  When the coal comes from The Rhondda I'll be there.

For the owners are demanding a million tons a week,
But the owners think the miner's life is very, very cheap.

For the owners see the profits rising pound after pound,
But the miners hear the timbers crack a mile below the ground.

For the owner rides in carriages and breathes pure air alone,
But the miner walks and gasps for breath, his lungs are full of stone.

For the owners pay the wages but the miners dig the seam.
It's the miners make the profit but the owners take the cream.

Source: Calennig CD "You Can Take A White Horse Anywhere"

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Snuffy
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 11:25 AM

Thanks Mick

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: GUEST,Ffred Clegg
Date: 05 Dec 04 - 02:08 PM

Seconded that thanks, solved something I'd been racking my brains over for years!

Cheers

Ffred

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Splott Man
Date: 06 Dec 04 - 07:23 AM

Lyrics as above and alternative version can be found on www.folkwales.org/

all the best

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: @When the coal comes from the Rhondda@
From: Sue the Borderer
Date: 17 Apr 05 - 05:28 PM

It's also been recorded by Roy Harris on CD Live at the Lion. Roy gives Mick Tems from Calennig as his source, but his words are just slightly different.

Mick tells of how 7,000 miners went to Tonypandy to support the locked out miners.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: @When the coal comes from the Rhondda@
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 17 Apr 05 - 08:14 PM

Cyber Hymnal "When the roll is called up yonder" Turn your speakers on for the tune



Also sung (in drunken state) in a much shortened version as:

When the coal comes from the Rhondda on that Merthyr-Dinas line
                                             (or Taff Vale Railway line)
With my little pick and shovel I'll be there
When the coal comes from the Rhondda
With my little pick and shovel I'll be there

(Chorus)
I'll be there, I'll be there
With my little pick and shovel I'll be there
When the coal comes from the Rhondda
With my little pick and shovel I'll be there.


CHEERS

Nigel

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 05:40 AM

You know, just looking at the words of teh title, it felt like the tune "When the Roll is called up yonder" would fit.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Splott Man
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 07:38 AM

This thread weren't dead, it were only sleeping.

Siwsann George may have recorded it as well, but you'll have a tough time tracking her or her band, Mabsant down on CD. The bloke in Ponty market has a copy of their best stuff though.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Gray D
Date: 18 Apr 05 - 07:30 PM

Ah, but how many of you remember Ronnie and Ryan ("DON'T CALL 'WILL' ON YOUR FATHER!") doing a version on their comedy show back in nineteen hundred and frozen to death?

Gray D

P.S. How is Siwsann, by the way? She was feeling pretty poorly last time I spoke to her.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Splott Man
Date: 19 Apr 05 - 03:03 AM

She had another minor stroke just before Easter. I haven't spoken to her since, but reports are good. Her next CD is well on it's way and she's probably planning another foreign trip if I know her. She's totally indestructable.

I'll giver her a ring and keep you posted.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Gray D
Date: 19 Apr 05 - 07:24 PM

Thanks, Splott Man.

Gray D

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From:
Date: 26 Apr 05 - 08:21 PM

please please please could someone send me the words to " when the coal comes from the rhondda". really dont know where to get these from.looking for the version with the last verse:-

when the ball comes from the forwards
down that old three quarter line
(all)when the ball comes from the forwards ill be there
when the ball comes from the forwards
down that old three quarter line
(all)when the ball comes from the forwards ill be there

(chorus)
ill be there, ill be there,
with my little up and under ill be there/
when the ball comes from the forwards
when the ball comes from the forwards ill be there

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Snuffy
Date: 27 Apr 05 - 06:23 PM

RobbieJayne

There's a different set of words at LONDON WELSH WOMEN'S RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB but they don't seem to refer to rugby

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: GUEST,Frank Coffman
Date: 21 May 05 - 08:51 AM

I learned a version of this song while associated with the University of Illinois Rugby Football Club (the Welsh are huge into Rugby, of course -- national game, etc.) The folklorists of the bunch might like to compare:

When the coal comes from the Rhondda
On the Merthyr Valley side
When the coal comes from the Rhondda
I'll be there.
When the coal comes from the Rhondda
On the Merthyr Valley side
With my little pick and shovel I'll be there
When the coal[hold on "coal"] comes from the Rhondda [hold and dwell on "Rhon-dda"]
With my little pick and shovel
I'll be there.

CHORUS:
I'll be there, I'll be the-he-i-ere
With my little pick and shovel I'll be there
And I'll sit up there and watch the world go bye
When I find the long lost coal mine in the sky.
Far away, far away-hay-i-ay
We will find it you and I some sweet da-ay
And we'll sit up there and watch the world go bye
When we find the long lost coal mine in the sky.

Repeat CHORUS from "Far Away" on

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: When the Coal Comes from the Rhondda
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 21 May 05 - 12:25 PM

Calennig CD "You can take a white Horse anywhere" available from me for £12-00 including p&p
Andy Jackson, 52 Llantrisant Road, Pontyclun,Wales CF72 9DQ

This was re-pressed after Mick's stroke thanks to valiant effort by Dave Bulmer, about whom you hear much bad, but he did us good.