Lyr/Chords Req: You Won't Get Me Down in Your Mine

Subject: You won't get me Down
From: Oehne
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 04:18 AM

Frank, from Hannover, Germany

Hi,

I'm looking for a song called 'You won't get me down'.

Here's the chorus:

No, you won'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 won't get me down in your mines.

I'm looking for the complete song and the chords and all about this song.

Slainte,

Frank

Subject: Lyr Add: YOU WON'T GET ME DOWN IN YOUR MINE ^^
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 03:22 PM

You Won't Get Me Down In Your Mine

You won't get me down underground in your mine
Away from the trees and the flowers so fine
Down in the dark where the sun never shines
You won't get me down in your mines.

They dig for the coal for the most of their lives
Away from the children, away from their wives
To make others rich, in the heat and the dark
But who's going to care when they're too old to work?

There's many a miner who died underground
Died all alone when the roof tumbled down
Trapped in the dark underneath the great beams
And choked out his life in the gas-filled coal seams

I'll work in your factory, I'll work on your farm
Dig roads till the muscles stand out on me arm
I've fought in your army, I've been out to sea
But by Christ, you won't make a coal-miner of me.

The first verse is repeated as a chorus.

Transcribed from the 1973 Leader LP "Songs of a Changing World" (Jon Raven/Nic Jones/Tony Rose), sung unaccompanied by Jones, so you'll have to work out "chords" for yourself! Words and music were written by Colin Wilkie (publisher, Feldman), apparantly in response to a mining disaster that occurred in Germany in 1963.

Malcolm^^

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You won't get me Down
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 24 Oct 99 - 08:46 PM

Thank you, Malcolm! I've long wanted to find out whether that song was actually written by Colin Wilkie. I have a McCalmans recording where they don't seem to know.

I had no idea either it was about a German mining disaster. This must have been at Lengede. I remember vividly sitting glued to my gran's set in those days in 1963 to follow the rescue operations shown live on TV. They were actually able to rescue several miners by hauling them up one by one in a metal capsule through a specially drilled shaft, days after they'd been given up for dead. It's known as the 'Lengede miracle' to this day.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You won't get me Down
From: Wolfgang
Date: 26 Oct 99 - 04:28 AM

Many Nic Jones lyrics including thisone can be found here. I had not the slightest idea it was from Colin Wilkie and about Lengede.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You won't get me Down
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 26 Oct 99 - 07:58 PM

OTOH, Tony Ireland says in his notes on the CD 'Lest We Forget', that Colin wrote it about a mining accident in Kent in 1963. Who's going to ask him? - Susanne

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You won't get me Down
From:
Date: 20 Mar 04 - 04:03 AM

Does anyone have the chords to this song?

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You won't get me Down
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 21 Mar 04 - 06:58 PM

Sorry, no, Trent - but thank you for reviving this! Gives me a chance to confirm, on the authority of Colin Wilkie himself (via eMail), that he did indeed write the song after the German mining accident at Lengede, Lower Saxony, that I mentioned above. The rescue operations have since (2003) been turned into a very well-received German TV film.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You won't get me Down
From: GUEST,Christian
Date: 15 Nov 04 - 08:11 PM

Does anyone maybe have a contact information of Tony Ireland?

Please let me know. Thanks
[e-mail]

Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: YOU WON'T GET ME DOWN IN YOUR MINE
From: GUEST,colin wilkie
Date: 09 Jan 05 - 05:46 PM

Sorry for being such a " Johnny-come-lately " folks, but I've only just read this thread. I see a couple of you wanted the chords for " You Won't Get Me Down In Your Mine " so, better late than never:



                               You Won't Get Me Down In Your Mine

Cm. capo 3

                                        You won't get me down underground in your mine
                                        Am                      C                G                      Am
                                        Away from the trees and the flowers so fine,
                                     AmF                   C                   G             Em
chorus )                         Down in the dark where the sun never shines,
                                        F                C                      G
                                       You won't get me down in your mine.
                                     G      Am                G                Am

                              
                              They dig for the coal for the most of their lives,
                              Am                   C                  G                  Am
                               Away from their children, away from their wives,
                            AmF                      C             G                      Em
                               To make others rich in the heat and the dark,
                              Em F                   C                                  G
                               Who's going to care when they're too old to work ?
                               Am                                              G             Am

---

( Known ) recording history:

Colin Wilkie on " We Travel The Road " Polydor. 1965 ?

Nic Jones on " Songs Of A Changing World " Trailer. 1973

The McCalmans on " Peace & Plenty " Greeentrax. 1986

Fairytale on " Live " Fairytale Records.   1990

Tony Ireland on " Live In Germany " Ireland Records. 1995

Tony Ireland on " I Wish I'd Written That Song " pläne. 1996

   Dave Anthony on " 31B Victoria " DA. 2001

....................................................................................................................................

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You Won't Get Me Down in Your Mine
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 09 Jan 05 - 06:26 PM

Good to see all this info coming out, and especially thanks to Colin W himself for "stepping in" now. So now we know the correct answer to the question of inspiration for the song. DITM is a very striking, and powerful, song. I sing it meself, and as for the known recording history well, I can add one more entry to Colin's list. And by a curious coincidence - "Johnny-come-lately" indeed, Colin - or should that be Collins... hmm, how very apt! - for tis Johnny Collins, whose 1982 recording of the song (originally on the Tradition LP "Free And Easy") is now available on a Fellside CD entitled "The Best of the Early Years". It's a pleasure to report that Johnny still regularly includes the song in his live set.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You Won't Get Me Down in Your Mine
From: The Unicorn Man
Date: 09 Jan 05 - 07:06 PM

Cheers for that Colin. It's a fantastic shivery song. "The Folkaholicks" will do a version of it, once we get to practice it a bit.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You Won't Get Me Down in Your Mine
From: GUEST,colin wilkie
Date: 10 Jan 05 - 01:01 PM

Well, hello MoorleyMan, Thanks for the information about Johnny Collins recording. Must try and get a copy of the CD. And nice to hear that you sing it yourself too. Thanks.

And Martin, Thank you as well, glad to hear " The Folkaholiks " ( luv the spelling ) are going to give it one. Would like to listen in.

Well, it goes to show, it's not only the "early bird " that gets results.

Thanks again, folks.

All the best

       Colin

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You Won't Get Me Down in Your Mine
From: MoorleyMan
Date: 10 Jan 05 - 05:21 PM

Hello Colin, sure I'd be glad to send you a tape, perhaps you could PM me with your email and snailmail addresses?
All the best too.

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You Won't Get Me Down in Your Mine
From: GUEST,colin wilkie
Date: 11 Jan 05 - 05:35 PM

Hello MoorleyMan,

My email is: [e-mail]

or Postfch 62
    D-74397 Pfaffenhofen
    Germany

look forward to hearing from you.

All the best

       Colin

Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: You Won't Get Me Down in Your Mine
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 07 - 12:27 PM