OLD COAL MINER

Oh, who'll replace this old coal miner
And who will take my place below
And who will follow the trepanner
Who, dear God, when I go

And who will wield my heavy pick
That I did wield for forty years
And who will hew the black, black coal
Who, dear God, when I go

And who will ride the miners' train
That takes him to the dark coal face
Who'll take my place upon that train
Who, dear God, when I go

And who will fill the great iron tubs
And who will strain his bending back
And who will work, sweat, and ache like hell
Who, dear God, when I go

And who will cry when the roof caves in
When friends are dying all around
And who will sing the miners' hymn
Who, dear God, when I go

For forty years I've loved the mine
For forty years I've worked down there
Now who'll replace this old coal miner
When I pay God my fare

@aging @mining
from a tape of Out of the Rain at Plowshares, 1983.
Believe from the Elliot family of Birtley, England. [JN]
filename[ OLDCOALM
JN
oct96
mudcat.org

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