Listen to this classic new protest song!

Subject: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: 2581
Date: 08 Jan 12 - 01:14 PM

Mountaintop Removal Mining, which is a common practice of irresponsible coal companies in the Appalachian mountains of southern West Virginia, southwest Virginia and eastern Kentucky, involves blasting the top off of a mountain - and dumping the "spoil" in the adjacent valleys and streams - in order to access coal seams quickly and cheaply. MTR mining poisons water supplies and destroys not only the beauty of God's mountains but our mining communities as well. It also employs far fewer miners than does traditional underground coal mining. Simply put, MTR mining is an abomination and it must be stopped.

The "metrobilly" band 2/3 Goat - whose lead singer, Annalyse McCoy, hails from eastern Kentucky - has written a brilliant and powerful anti-MTR song, "Stream of Conscience". This song also demonstrates why John Prine's classic 1971 anti-strip mining song, "Paradise", is still important today.

Check out both "Stream of Conscience" and "Paradise" on these YouTube videos:

Stream of Conscience - 2/3 Goat

Paradise - John Prine

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: Don Firth
Date: 08 Jan 12 - 01:39 PM

I believe THIS LADY knows quite a bit about this.

(I think you'll recognize her.)

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: 2581
Date: 08 Jan 12 - 02:32 PM

Thank you so much for posting Jean Ritchie's classic song "Black Waters", also about the devastation caused by strip mining in the mountains of eastern Kentucky (Jean is from Perry County, KY). Jean also wrote her song in 1971. It is every bit as brilliant and important as "Paradise". Jean's music deserves a much wider audience. She is a national treasure.

Check out two of her other classic coal mining songs below: "West Virginia Mine Disaster" (1969) & "Blue Diamond Mines" (1964).

West Virginia Mine Disaster - Jean Ritchie


Blue Diamond Mines - Jean Ritchie

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 08 Jan 12 - 11:39 PM

Very interesting. I had heard Paradise many times in English folk clubs without understanding the context.

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 02:31 AM

I believe "Paradise" was written about plain vanilla strip mining; mountaintop removal is called "strip mining on steroids" and came somewhat later.

Actually, I see Wikipedia has an article on Paradise, Kentucky. It says that in addition to the strip mining, the Tennessee Valley Authority (power cooperative) and built a coal power plant there. They bought out what remained of the town soon afterward after the plant was found to be a health hazard.

~ Becky in Long Beach

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: The Sandman
Date: 09 Jan 12 - 01:29 PM

thanks for posting, all good songs, we have a potentially similiar problem ,here in Ireland with fracking

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: GUEST,Uncle_DaveO
Date: 10 Jan 12 - 09:46 AM

"Classic new" ?????

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: Stringsinger
Date: 10 Jan 12 - 05:35 PM

I don't think this song is a classic yet. For a classic, I refer you to Jean Ritchie's "Black Waters" which says pretty much the same thing in an eloquent way with an interesting tune. "Paradise" is a great song, though.

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: michaelr
Date: 10 Jan 12 - 06:54 PM

A very good and important song. (Check back in 20 years to see if it's a classic, but who cares?) Mountaintop removal is evil; so is fracking. Keep up the good fight!

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: 2581
Date: 11 Jan 12 - 01:24 AM

Dave O -- Apparently you have never heard the term "Instant Classic"... It should be self-explanatory. Regardless of the labeling, "Stream of Conscience" is an important and brilliant song about an issue of life or death in the Appalachian mountains. Tony

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: Spleen Cringe
Date: 11 Jan 12 - 04:46 AM

Good song - I enjoyed it. Here's a link to I Love Mountains... the campaign to end mountaintop removal coalmining.

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: Tootler
Date: 11 Jan 12 - 01:02 PM

"Instant Classic" is an oxymoron. Wait at least 50 years before describing a song as a Classic.

I'm not sure about "brilliant" either. I thought Jean Ritchie's song was much better but the video certainly highlights the mess left behind by the mining companies. Are they not expected to clean it up when they have extracted the coal?

Subject: RE: Listen to this classic new protest song!
From: radriano
Date: 11 Jan 12 - 02:40 PM

Good on you, Tootler. Ya took the words right out of my mouth!