Lyr Add: The Miner's Song

Subject: Lyr Add: THE MINER'S SONG
From: GUEST,Marian
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 02:05 PM

Hi you mudcatters!

There's a song we perform in our Irish Folk Band. I would like to know who wrote it and who or which band recorded this song and where I can get it. Any help apreciated!

Here's the lyrics:

"The Miner's Song"
Well, I live down the road from the colliery gate
And the siren of the shift is the sound I hate:
Don't be sick and don't be late!
There's no other work in the village.

When the dusk and the grime make a man retire
And the sun comes up by the chance of hire.
Working in the dark just to feed your fire.
There is no other work in the village.

Though bilking is better than most they say,
I will do everything to keep my son away.
Jobs like that don't come each day.
There is no other work in the village

Solo
Refrain:
No you don't get me down underground in your mines.
Away from the trees and the flowers so fine.
Down in the dark where the sun never shines.
No, you don't get me down in your mines.

Well they work in the dark for the most of their lives
Away from their children, away from their wives.
To make others rich in the heat and the dark.
Ah, but who's going to care when you're too old to work

No, you don't…

Solo

There's many a miner has died underground,
Died all alone when the roof tumbled down,
Or choked out his life underneath a great beam,
Or buried and gust in that lousy cold seam.

No you don't…

I've worked in your factories, I've worked on your farms,
Until all me muscles towed out of me arms.
I've been in your armies, I've been out to sea.
But by Christ you won't make a coal-miner of me.

No you don't…

Away from the flowers so fine…
Down where the sun never shines…
No, you don't get me down in your mines…

So I hope there's anybody out there who can tell me about this song!

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 04:37 PM

Written by Colin Wilkie to a traditional melody, recorded by The McCalmans on 'Peace and Plenty' (1986) . The title they use is, 'No You Won't Get Me Down In Your Mines'. Also by Nic Jones on 'Penguin Eggs', whose notes say it was inspired by a mining disaster in Germany in 1963. (I remember watching the rescue operations on TV as a child.)

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: GUEST
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 05:01 PM

Nic Jones on 'Penguin Eggs'???

I don't think so...

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Metchosin
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 05:31 PM

In the early 1970's, John Gothard (I believe he is still associated with the Vancouver Folklore Society?) did the most moving a capella version of this song I have ever heard in my life. His performance set a standard for unaccompanied voice, that I have rarely heard again in the last thirty years and I cannot recall this song without a rush, goose bumps and tears welling in my eyes. I hope it is still in his repertoire.

Thank you for posting it Marion.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Paul from Hull
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 05:35 PM

I was just about to say the same, 'Anonymous' Guest..but rather more politely....

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Metchosin
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 05:41 PM

I don't know about Nic Jones and Penguin Eggs, but I was told that this song was inspired by the mining disaster in Germany too.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: GUEST,Marian
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 05:56 PM

Hi again!

That's a lot you all could tell me. I searched the web and found out a lot, there was even a thread about this song before on this forum. Does anybody know where I can get one of this recordings? Best and fastest way would be an mp3 file, but I would also order and buy a cd if anyone can tell me where to get a cd containing this song.

Thanks Marian

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Metchosin
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 06:04 PM

Wish I could Marion, but all I have is a wonderful memory and unfortunately you can't make an mp3 of that.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 06:32 PM

I can't vouch for 'Penguin Eggs' as I haven't got it, just an entry in my database which refers to the album notes as above - so naturally I assumed the song was on it!
Marian, where do you live? If you're desperate you could send me a tape and I'd copy the McCalmans version for you. They've twinned it with another song, however, making what the late Hamish Imlach used to call a diddly - as opposed to a medley ...

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 08:52 PM

Nic Jones on Songs of a Changing World, as it happens.  Certainly not an Irish song, of course, though Marian quotes verses which I've never heard.   Presumably it was the McCalmans who added them, for obscure reasons of their own.  Colin Wilkie's powerful song stands better unadulterated, to my mind.  We've discussed this before, I think; the German mining disaster concerned happened in 1963, apparantly: last time I mentioned this, somebody told us the details.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 09:11 PM

Here is the original thread, with Wilkie's original lyrics; it turns out that it was I who supplied them that time, and Susanne who identified the mining disaster concerned; we must both be answering too many questions!

You won't get me Down...

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Metchosin
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 09:33 PM

You can listen to a clip of it from Among the Ladies All CD here

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Metchosin
Date: 10 Oct 01 - 09:48 PM

hmmm....unfortunate that they sing it in such a spritely manner, it really detracts from the substance of the song. Sort of a "here we go gathering buds in May" version.

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 05:56 AM

It is also sung by Tony Ireland on the fairly recent CD 'I wish I'd written that song (A Tribute to Colin Wilkie)'

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 05:58 AM

Maybe I should add a warning if someone is about to order the CD I have mentioned. All songs are from Colin Wilkie, but not all are sung in the language in which they have originally been written.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 04:57 PM

Malcolm, you're a treasure! Would you also have the year for 'Songs of a Changing World'? I must have put the wrong album title after copying the notes, or maybe I got them from someone else. Which should remind me: Always check your sources!
Tony Ireland first recorded it on 'Lest We Forget' (1989). Don't know if Wolfgang's is a new recording or the old one re-used.
The McCalmans twinned the song with 'The Colliery Gate', one of Ian McCalman's own songs, sung to a trad melody (or was it the other way round???).

Subject: RE: Does anyone know 'The Miner's Song' ?
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 11 Oct 01 - 05:08 PM

Songs of a Changing World: Jon Raven, Nic Jones and Tony Rose: Trailer LER 2083, 1973.  I believe that Jon Raven produced a book containing the songs from the record, with others on similar themes, but I don't have details.