The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #41241   Message #594836
Posted By: Stewie
17-Nov-01 - 07:12 PM
Thread Name: Lyr/Tune Add: Miner Lad
Subject: Lyr Add: SHE LOVES HER MINER LAD
Snuffy, thanks for posting this. By coincidence, I am using an American version, collected by George Korson in Pennsylvania, for a North American mining song project that I'm working on. It held up pretty well with only minor changes to what you have posted. The perspective is changed to the third person and the most significant textual change is 'We'll build him a castle'.

Certain words in the text gave away its British origin, but I was unaware of the Yorkshire text. Some time ago, it did a DT/Forum search on the song but, for some reason, it failed to reveal the DT text.

I might as well post the American text, albeit no much different from above:
^^
SHE LOVES HER MINER LAD
(Traditional)

Bonny's her lad as he walks down the street
With his hat in his hand all canny and neat
His teeth white as ivories his eyes black as sloes
Oh she loves her miner lad everyone knows

Sometimes he has money, sometimes none at all
But he'll share what he has be it ever so small
No laddie is better, no laddie so kind
And he'll stand by his word when he has spoken his mind

Oh the huntsman's delight is to blow his loud horn
And the farmer's delight is a-reaping the corn
But the miner's delight is the pick in his hand
And he'll claim all the coal that lies under the land

We'll build him a castle of finest renown
That ladies and masters will never pull down
The king loves his queen and the emperor the same
And she loves her miner lad, who can she blame

Bonny's her lad as he walks down the street
With his hat in his hand all canny and neat
His teeth white as ivories his eyes black as sloes
Oh she loves her miner lad everyone knows

Traditional. Collected by George Korson.

Source: transcription from Men of the Deeps 'Coal Fire in the Winter' Atlantica Music 02 506600.

Cheers, Stewie.