I understand the poem is by Idris Davies and dates to 1926. I further heard that, ironically, the year the poem was published, Wales had no mining disasters. Such events were apparently so very common in those days that that year (1926) without calamity amounted to great, blessed, and all too infrequent, relief.

I heard Seeger found a copy of the Davies poem inserted into the pages of a volume of Dylan Thomas verse.

Its potential appeal to Seeger, who was an ardent socialist, is easy to understand.

Politics aside, though, the poem and the song remain deeply moving.

Who can disagree that, whatever one's own political leanings, we all owe our fellow human beings respect, fairness, and humane consideration, whoever they might be.

A little less cruelty to strangers might make us all (the public at large) less willing to apply our own cruelty (what Seeger refers to as "Fangs and Teeth", our very own venom) to other people.

Everyone of us could do with receiving a little less callous treatment. Let us pay for that relief in advance by applying some kindness to our fellows in the hopes that we can rachet down the world's quotient of sadness.

The song is only about Welsh mining disasters on its most superficial levels. I think it begs for hope that we as humans will work to decrease suffering and increase compassion.

The cost would be small, the benefits great.

My own favorite version of the song is by the Byrds.