I inserted dashes to indicate pauses in the lyrics that go on for a beat or more—something I usually don't do, but in this song I think you might have a hard time fitting the lyrics to the tune if you don't know where the pauses come.


ABERFAN
As sung by Filthy Thieving Bastards on "A Melody of Retreads and Broken Quills" (2001)

1. [We've] suffered in our valleys—these valleys of hard toil,
Witnessed gross injustices—that cause men's blood to boil,
Seen those blue-scarred faces, those emblems of the mine,
And lived with death and tragedy every day—in our time.

2. Buried many comrades—young victims of the dust,
Who gave their lives for families—just to earn a daily crust,
Comforted the little ones whose hearts were on the rack,
Mourning for a father who went—and came not back.

3. Seen faces burnt to cinders—and limbs torn apart,
Shared the grief and sorrow—of many a broken heart,
But now those coal diamonds have done their darkest deed
And made little children pay the price—for lust and greed.

4. A fumarole of industry stood on the mountainside.
The black and deadly killer—waits for its deadly slide,
Waiting for its victims to enter into class,
To crush their little bodies 'neath the nine tons** of morass.

5. Eighty* little innocents—were laid beneath the clay.
Their only sin in life—was bein' young and gay,
Put to rest together beneath a giant cross of flowers,
And the tears will form in all our eyes for many—many hours.

[* I don't know why he says only 80. Actually, 116 children and 28 adults were killed.]
[** 9 tons sounds like a ridiculously low estimate—or am I mishearing something?]