I wrote this song back in 1992 whilst in hospital. I couldn’t practice it on the ward, so it was all in my head. I then lost the song! It re-emerged last year whilst I was clearing out a load of old paperwork.

Down The Pit
(by Simon Thomson)

{c: Chorus}
Look at all the corn
ripe and ready for reaping
Look at all the trees on the hill,
I'm off down the pit and now I'm weeping
Long has gone the excitement and thrill.

{c: Verse}
We all dig for coal,
deep under the ground
Digging out the roots of the land.
And when the death bell rings out loud
Think how the coal face was manned.

{c: Verse}
The years have gone by
and I've near served me time
Shovelling and blasting in the dark
Dreaming of the morrow
when I hand in me cards
And long for the sound of the lark

{c: Verse}
We throw down our shovels
and scramble for the shaft
As the caged bird senses danger and falls
Then the build up of gas
is set off by a spark
Splintering and shattering the rocks

{c: Verse}
Now the mine is closed down because of the fall
With our memories, we’re buried there too.
So gather all the corn
and climb all the trees
But remember the fate of our crew.

{c: Chorus}
Long has gone the excitement and thrill.