Branson Flooded Mine Theme Song Information

Subject: SDC Flooded Mine Theme Song Information
From: Jesse Bassfeller
Date: 24 Aug 20 - 02:44 PM

I'm searching for information on the theme song for an attraction at Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson Mo. I have done web searches and I have inquired with the old timers who keep the park history and the answer I've gotten is; i don't know, it was in use 45 years ago when i got here.

I'm interested to know who wrote it and anything about the recording, other songs it might be related to and so on.

The only lyric on the recording is: Sweat a little water and sweat a little blood and you might get out if the mine don't flood'

Here's a link to a YouTube recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XKpPo037Ns

Can anyone shed any light on this? Thanks! :)

Subject: RE: SDC Flooded Mine Theme Song Information
From: cnd
Date: 25 Aug 20 - 09:23 AM

You can hear another recording here which has a bit more to it lyrically: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4h3VUe5OHI

From a Facebook page:

"...Welcome to our mine, Yeah. Welcome to our toil.
Welcome to our trouble, 'Neath the earth and soil.
You'll sweat a little water, And you'll sweat a little blood,
And you might get out if the mine don't flood..."

Though one person adds: "I swear they used to say 'welcome to the bowels, beneath the earth and soil'"

Initial searching makes it look like it's also been used at Dollywood for their former ride "Flooded Mine"

Interestingly, there's an article about your theme park bearing the name of this song (“Sweat a little water, sweat a little blood”: A spectacle of convict labor at an American amusement park by Patricia Morris and Tammi Arford) but unfortunately it doesn't focus on the origins of the song.

I couldn't find any lines of the song in historical newspapers or books on Archive.org, so my assumption is that it's a modern creation, but no firm evidence to back that up.

Subject: RE: SDC Flooded Mine Theme Song Information
From: GUEST,Bob
Date: 17 May 23 - 07:01 AM

This is my questionable hearing, but I recall at one point in the ride there was a convict in a jug of water singing something like

I escaped the guards in this dark and gloomy mine
In this jug they locked me just to kill some time
But I'll not go back to the grimy grit and mud
I'll stay right in here where the mine don't flood!

Subject: RE: SDC Flooded Mine Theme Song Information
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 19 May 23 - 02:24 AM

> a convict in a jug of water

I read that as jug == gaol, which makes more sense. Hope that helps.

Subject: RE: SDC Flooded Mine Theme Song Information
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 11:01 AM

At one point in the ride there is a convict in a jail cell that adds some extra lyrics.
He sings

“If you can’t toe the line gang,
If you should moan and wail,
You’ll wind up just like me in the tiny one-man jail ha!

Sweat a little water,
you’ll sweat a little blood
and you might get out if the mine don’t flood…”

Subject: RE: SDC Flooded Mine Theme Song Information
From: GUEST,Bob
Date: 12 Aug 24 - 03:17 AM

> > a convict in a jug of water

> I read that as jug == gaol, which makes more sense

If you haven't been on the ride I can see why you might think "jug" was meant in the slang sense, but no, it was a projection effect of a convict in a literal jar or jug of water.