The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #1714   Message #2556132
Posted By: Dennis the Elder
03-Feb-09 - 10:19 AM
Thread Name: Origins: Springhill Disaster/Ballad of Springhill
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Springhill Disaster
The singer in the Dubliners was Luke Kelly, who also recorded it in his own right.
Neither of the two versions quoted above are in my opinion identical to that sung by Luke. Its on the double Cd "The best of Luke Kelly"
This version is on youtube under Luke Kelly Sprinfhill Disaster and the Dubliners under Dubliners Springhill Mine Disaster.
The 1958 disaster is the one that Pete Seeger wrote the song about.

These I believe are the words of Luke Kellys and most probably the Dubliners version

In the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia,
Down in the dark of the Cumberland Mine,
There's blood on the coal,
And the miners lie,
In roads that never saw sun or sky,
Roads that never saw sun or sky

In the town of Springhill you don't sleep easy,
Often the earth will tremble and roll,
When the earth is restless miners die,
Bone and blood is the price of coal,
Bone and blood is the price of coal.

In the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia,
Late in the year of '58,
The day still comes and the sun still shines,
But it's dark as the grave in the Cumberland mine,
Dark as the grave in the Cumberland Mine.

Three days past when the lamps gave out,
And Kaela Brushton got up and said,
'We've no more water or light or bread,
So we'll live on songs and hope instead,
Live on songs and hope instead.'

Listen for the shouts of the black face miners,
Listen through the rubble for the rescue teams,
Three hundred tonnes of coal and slag,
Hope imprisoned in a three foot seam,
Hope imprisoned in a three foot seam.

Twelve days past and some were rescued,
Leaving the dead to lie alone,
Through all their live they dug a grave,
Two miles of earth is a marking stone,
Two miles of earth is a marking stone.