Trying to work up this wonderful song currently and a little late to the party: apologies.

I come from several generations of miners on my father's side of the family. From the context in which it was used in my part of South Yorkshire , 'the brow' was a term I assumed, from the context, to mean the mine area generally. So, if asked where he was going, a miner on his way to work would reply, 'up't brow'.

Another phrase in the song is 'to the bank the earth returned him'. Again, from context, 'the bank' I concluded to mean not currently working, with perhaps a subtle implication that you were in reserve if needed. I wonder if this was how it was during the depression when miners were on short time? All of my father's brothers were on short time at the pit during that time; perhaps the hope was that you might get the call to work an extra shift?

Nothing definitive in these thoughts, just my impressions from years of being around uncles who were working miners.