this pit wheel it turned for 90 long years
on it we pinned all our hopes and our fears
it raised the coal up and took the men down
now it stands all alone on the edge of the town

it turned for the company and the coal owning lord
then for the people and the national coal board
through strikes and through lock outs it raised not a ton
no blacklegs went down not a days work was done

the wheel gave a shiver as a blast shook the mine
the rescue team came, a grim silent line
the wheel brought me brother from that dark dirty hole
he died as he lived working down in the coal

i cursed it from the pit bank in the grey morning light
blessed it as i rode at the end of the night
it turned for me father, it turned for me son
and it should still be turning, there's coal to be won

this pit wheel it turned for 90 long years
on it we pinned all our hopes and our fears
its' life work is over they've taken it down
to stand all alone on the edge of the town

chorus
it raised the coal up
it took the men down
now it stands all alone
on the edge of the town

thanks for your interest Nick....where did you first hear it?

Kinds regards
Bob