Songs about Aberfan (1966 mining disaster)

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Leadfingers
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 06:59 AM

Suzanne - I am still singing Bernies song (as posted above) on a fairly regular basis.

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 09:20 PM

Gareth, the verse you quote was obviously taken and adapted from the Les Rice song 'Banks of Marble'. (And the banks are made of marble, with a guard at every door, and the vaults are full of silver that the miners (farmers etc.) sweated for.) It's strange there is no song on Aberfan other than Palaces of Gold that is still sung!

Subject: Lyr Add: ABERFAN (Bernie Fairlamb)
From: Leadfingers
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 08:28 PM

I have a song I collected in 1969 from a group in Singapore. They gave me the name of the writer as Bernie Fairlamb, who I think was in the R A F. Whatever, Johnny Collins knew him. Try This one:-

          ABERFAN -- Bernie Fairlamb

Am                           G
Black is the life of a mining man,
                      Am                     Em
In the bowels of the earth with a pick and a lamp
               Am             C
Black is the life of a mining man
                   G            Am
And Black is the memory of Aberfan


That Friday morning in a little Welsh town
A man made mountain came tumbling down
It came down the hillside like a giant black hand
And plucked all the children from Aberfan

In the little brick schoolhouse children laughed sang and played
When down came that mountain that mining men made
More than a hundred lives lost before they began
A lost generation in Aberfan

A heartbroken Mother stood watching in dread
As men brought out children all broken and dead
She'd stood at the PitHead to weep for her man
Now gone two of her children in Aberfan

The graves on the hillside stretch over the town
That a man made mountain brought to world renown
They stretch out as far as the eye can scan
There lie the children of Aberfan

So come all you miners who cut the rough coal
Dont take the life of another young soul
Bury your waste as deep as you can
Lest you bury your children like Aberfan

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Gareth
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 06:54 PM

Sorry, a little (litterally) close to home.

I can not recall - tho that may be me, any local spontaneous, songs on this.

The late Alex Glascow covered this on "Close the Coal House Door", there is a verse (inserted ???) in :-
"Halls are made of Marble,
With a Gaurd at Every Door,
And the Vaults are full of Silver,
That the Children perished for."

I can recall a neighbour of my parents, (Mines Rescue Brigade) here in Ystrad Mynach still crying into his beer 6 months later.

No. That nasty an occasion, meant that sentiment and creativity were destroyed.

I do recall my fathers comments, who had served his time underground and as a "manager" after the report was issued -

"There but for the Grace of God went I" - Basically he had orderes tipping without any thought to stability, or 'water springs' destabalising the tip else where in South Wales. ( 9 Mile Point and Abercarn actually)

If you drive along the A470 dual carrigeway between Cardiff and Merthyr about 4 miles North of the Abercynon Junction, as the A470 commences its descent to Merthyr, you can see whats left of No.7 tip, you will recognise it and the path of the slide by the lack of mature trees, and the attempt to camuflage the site by shrubs.

3 miles South of the Abercynon interchange look to the East, you will see a scar on the hillside just to the North of Cilfyndd. The tip there slid in the 1930's. fortunatley there was no houses etc. in its path. But the old main Cardiff/Merthyr/Nelson Rd was blocked for a good 6 months. It also closed permenantly the TVR (GWR) Pontypridd to Nelson Railway.

Some years ago I had to attend a fammilly funeral in Aberfan, an elderly uncle. Myself and my sister escaped to a local pub. We looked around, a generation of customers, my sisters generation were "missing" - That brings it home to you.

Gareth

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: BanjoRay
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 06:40 PM

Stewie put the words of Grey October by McColl/Seeger here last March. This one should definitely be put in the database.
Cheers
Ray

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: songs2play
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 05:55 PM

There comes a little wind from round yon mountain

Oh tell me little wind oh tell me if you can

What news do you bring and where do you come from

"I come from Abervan".



Sorry that's all I remember of a lovely song that seemed to be around the Rhondda Vallies after the time of the disaster. If anyone can add to it I would be grateful.

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: GUEST,Thom Parrott
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 11:54 AM

I wrote a song called "The Aberfan Coaltip Tragedy" or just "Aberfan" during the days following the event which was printed in "Broadside Magazine" and the book "Best of Broadside Volume II" and recorded by me on my first Folkways LP in 1968 (still available from the Smithsonian) and included on a 5 CD set "Best of Broadside, 1962-1988," also available from the Smithsonian. The song was also recorded by the Danish folk group Paddy Doyles on their album "Aberfan" which is not, so far as I know, still available. Pete Seeger sang the chorus of this song in London during the British news blackout (they were afraid news of the event might bring down the government). Full lyrics are on my website http://www.geocities.com/parrottsongs/ -- the chorus is

How many died in Aberfan when the coal tip came rumbling down?
How many children will never grow old?
And how many lives purchase how many tons of coal?

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: radriano
Date: 11 May 01 - 07:39 PM

Close the Coalhouse Door also appears on the first album by a group called Yorkshire Relish. The album is titled Yorkshire Relish.

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 11 May 01 - 06:43 PM

The late David Ackles wrote a song called "Aberfan" and recorded it on his 1973 album, "Five and Dime." I have the album but currently am without a working turntable, so I can't get you the words. As I recall it was a very moving song.

Aloha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 11 May 01 - 11:01 AM

Sorry... Try here Click Here

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 11 May 01 - 10:57 AM

I remember it well. Some Welsh friends of mine went to help dig out the bodies, all the way from my hometown in Lancashire. Hope this is of assistance to you. Yours, Aye. Dave
Click Here

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 May 01 - 09:55 AM

nutty,

a new McColl/Seeger song that is not in the database yet is always welcome here.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: nutty
Date: 11 May 01 - 09:49 AM

The McColl/Seeger song I have is called Grey October........... I,m not sure which of them wrote it but it compares the death of schoolchildren in the Abervan disaster with the death of schoolchildren in Thuy Dan, Vietnam

I'd be happy to post the lyrics if this is what you want

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 11 May 01 - 06:19 AM

Did dcollins' song ever emerge (I can't see it in the DT)?.I had just left Cardiff, where several of my co-students were ex-miners, when Aberfan happened. Close the Coalhouse Door and Springhill Mining Disaster always bring it back to me.
RtS

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From:
Date: 11 May 01 - 05:38 AM

Close the coalhouse door, has recently been recorded by the Fagans and is on their "Kitchen Dance" cd

Love Bob Eden

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 19 Aug 98 - 06:13 PM

G'day all,

I seem to remember seeing an Aberfan song printed in a songbook - about 25/30 years back ... it could be a book I still have. The Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger reference resonates as well.

Oh well. Back into the stacks!

regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Barry Finn
Date: 18 Aug 98 - 07:09 PM

dcollins, please post so it's shared by us all, our thanks. Barry

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From:
Date: 18 Aug 98 - 06:57 PM

I have written a song specifically about the Aberfan disaster.I was a student in Wales at the time. If anyone cares to e-mail me I'll send them the lyric.

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Wolfgang (Hell)
Date: 01 Oct 97 - 03:45 AM

Martin Carthy in the notes to "Palaces of Gold" on "Crown of Horn" explicitely names the Aberfan disaster as a reason for Rosselson writing this song. But bjgj is correct in pointing out that this is not a song about that specific disaster. The song lines closest in content to the Aberfan disaster go like this:

"...that if you don't want to be buried alive by slagheaps [the Aberfan event],
pitfalls and damp walls and rat traps and dead streets,
arrange to be democratically born
the son of a company director..."

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: bigj
Date: 30 Sep 97 - 08:01 PM

I'm not convinced that Leon's song 'Palaces of Gold' was specifically about Aberfan. It first appeared in print in 1968 in the songbook 'Look Here' in the section 'The Ugly Ones' where he says "I like playing fantasy games inventing the newspaper headlines I'd most like to see. 'Lord Robens Buried by Slag Heap', would be rather pleasing. Or 'Stock Exchange Sunk inIcelandic Gale. No Survivors'. Then, above the song he quotes:-"The situation is not that bad. After all, if you look around the country who can you say is suffering?' - Sir Leslie O'Brien, Governor of the Bank of England. 13 February 1968, before flying to Jamaica for a holiday.

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Barry
Date: 29 Sep 97 - 05:04 PM

"Palaces Of Gold" written by Leon Rosselson about the pit heap disaster at Aberfan, Martin Carthy recorded it on his Crown Of Horn LP Barry

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From:
Date: 29 Sep 97 - 11:10 AM

I know that there is a song called: Palaces of Gold which was specificaly relates to the Aberfan disaster I am sure Martin Carthy recorded it on the Topic label but I do not know the album title although it may be: Crown of Horn I think the author was Leon Rosselson and other performers may have recorded it I will try to find out.

The chorus (relating to children born to a better life than those of Aberfan) goes thus:

Buttons would be pressed. Rules would be broken. Strings would be pulled - and magic words spoken. Invisible fingers would mold - Palaces of gold.

Good hunting.

Dave

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Wolfgang (Hell)
Date: 29 Sep 97 - 05:52 AM

I did a little (re)search on the web, but only came up with the information that the first BeeGees hit, "New York Mining disaster 1941" was "inspired" by the Aberfan tragedy. Possible, since the tragedy was in '66 and the song became popular in '67. Don't think that Suibhan was looking for that type of music, but just in case, the lyrics are on http://mv.ru/~eddy/bee/album/bg1st.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: bigj
Date: 28 Sep 97 - 07:55 PM

The song 'Close the Coalhouse Door' was written by Alex Glasgow, a songwriter from North East England, for his musical of the same name - a very poignant and powerful work that was performed in British theatres some 25 years ago. Last I heard Alex had gone to live in Australia. I think that Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger wrote a song about the Aberfan tragedy but - for the lfe of me - I can't remember the name of it. Perhaps someone could scour one of the Oak songbooks of theirs that were published some years ago,

Subject: RE: Songs about Aberfan
From: Alison
Date: 26 Sep 97 - 08:32 PM

Hi

I don't know if it's strictly about Aberfan, but there is a song called, (I think), "Close the coal house door, there's blood inside."

I'm not sure of the lyrics, or title for that matter hopefully someone else will know.

The rest of the verses go on to say, "There's bones / bairns (ie children) inside."

Hope I've jogged someone elses memory.

Slainte

Alison

Subject: Songs about Aberfan
From: Suibhan
Date: 26 Sep 97 - 01:54 PM

Does anyone know any songs about the mining disaster in Aberfan, Wales in 1966? Or would someone like to write one?