Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: Gareth
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 06:58 PM

Many years ago - in fact on my 18th Birthday - my father ( an ex collier )arranged a trip for me down the Lady Windsor Pit near Pontypridd. This was not a tourists trip, I found out later he had ploted over the beer with the NUM lodge Chairman to give me a hard time, to kill any thoughts I harboured about the romantic ideals of working underground.

One thing that I do recall was being shown the first aid stations, at regular intervals, with the first aid cabinets.

Crucial to each station was the locked boxes containing Morphine and other drugs. The keys were kept by qualified first aiders. I understand that this was UK practice, not so different from the USA. Also in the box, I was told, were grease pencils to mark on the victim the time and dose so that there would be no confusion when removed to hospital.

Gareth

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: BanjoRay
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 06:39 PM

This sounds like an instant legend to me. First aid men in a mine will carry morphine, and maybe in an american silver mine they carried it in a special metal box such as the one described at the website - but I do not see miners carrying suicide kits, and I've known a lot of them in the UK - it doesn't ring true. If I was told a story that - "miners carry morphine to kill themselves with, just in case" I would make bloody sure I knew it was true before libelling them by writing a song about it.

Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: Chicken Charlie
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 05:28 PM

Interesting cross reference to "Soldier's Joy," which I found on another web site--evidently "SJ" meant (among other things) morphine. Often played and seldom sung, Soldier's Joy has one verse that goes something like:

Fifteen cents for the morphine,
Twenty five cents for the beer.
Fifteen cents for the morphine,
Gotta get me away from here.

Or words to that effect. Thread creep? What thread creep? I may start a band called the Blue Morphine Cult; who wants to play the bongos?

CC

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: Midchuck
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 04:54 PM

The tune is by Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin. They perform it on their CD, "Heart Songs." All the songs on that are Utah's older country/bluegrass songs.

Everybody really, really, ought to get that CD. Jody's intro to "Rock Salt and Nails" is a textbook example of making music with the spaces between the notes, as well as with the notes.

Usual disclaimers.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 12:10 PM

Susan, thanks for this thread- that was an incredible song! And the woman who sang it sang as if she herself was the miner's wife- it was beautiful. I seem to remember that the tune is recorded on a cd others have made of Utah Philips' songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: Sorcha
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 12:08 PM

Utah's Pages

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: GUEST,Naemanson
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 11:46 AM

The last guest was me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 11:45 AM

If you go to Utah's archived radio programs he includes it plus he reads some of the messages found in the morphine cans from the dying miners to their families.

I am not home so I cannot direct you to the site but it's a good 'un.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: kendall
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 11:12 AM

I've been singing this one for quite some time. It is a very moving story. The way Utah told it was, he was going through a miners museum and noticed the little tin box. He asked about it, and the song was a result of the story he was told.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: SINSULL
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 09:55 AM

iT WAS PERFORMED AT THE pALTALK uTAH PHILLIPS cONCERT. sANDY WILL KNOW. Damn Capslock!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: GUEST,Don Meixner
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 09:52 AM

I have his song book. I'll mail out a copy of the page with the melody.

Don

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: MMario
Date: 26 Jun 01 - 09:21 AM

Susan - don't forget the version they did was NOT Utah's tune. I didn't catch the name of who did right the tune tho' , sorry.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Miners carrying morphine
From: Pene Azul
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 11:36 PM

You can get the lyrics, a jpg of the tune and chords, and some background of "Miners Lulliby" here (click).

Jeff

Subject: Miners carrying morphine
From: Susan A-R
Date: 25 Jun 01 - 10:42 PM

Someone at Old Songs sang a wonderful song by Utah Phillips? about miners carrying little boxes of Morphine into the mines with theim in case they were trapped in a cave in or such. Anyone got lyrics to this one, or more info on the song/subject?

Susan