Rita was a straight-up-front gal. Always. She began the song with a 'general' description of one voice: that of a miner who worked underground. He knew the substantiality of his life, and he knew the dangers. Things that would terrify many people were the conditions under which he made his pay. Cape Breton is a proud (and mostly honourable)
under worse conditions than most of us face. Many CBers live in tough and sometimes deplorable conditions, but they have never bowed to either the conditions or those who thought worst of them for their pride. They exemplify what freedom means: their logo should be "We kneel before no man."

Anyway, as I hear the song--a song I have seldom listened to without growing some tears in my eyes--it tells the story of what it means to be a miner with hopes and dreams for tomorrow.

The structure of certain ballads (perhaps all s'far's I know) is that in the telling of a man or woman's life is what needs to be documented or written down. But to 'feel' about it is to come close to being there.

The song:

General statement setting the scene for the balance of the tale, both lyric and melody. Remembering the past.

She's telling about him when he was 15 and what he came to find.

General statement again--often called the song chorus--and it resets the song's 'meaning'; brings it back to what we need to remember, consider and learn from. (The downside is seldom advertised in the papers.)

She then jumps to the fellow being 64 years old (something I have wondered about since my first time hearing the song, a song which is at once a declaration of freedom within the confines of prison walls and the freedom of thoughts that straight-on deliver us.

Her voice (Rita's) is beautiful. The age of 64 stanza shows us an old man who lives with his past life. He will gladly tell you of that life--one he's proud to have lived through, but no miner wants his son to follow in his footsteps. It is dirty, hazardous, dangerous and basically thankless work.

Once again the chorus which is also 'anthemish' brings us back to a statement of fact. Beautiful song. Best wishes with the homework assignment.