A song about the danger in the early years of mining.
My grandfather worked in the coalmines in Belgium. Less dangerous than in the early years but he's the reason i've got interested.
The whistle marks the end of the day,
The graveyard shift takes over, we can’t have no delay.
We’ve got to keep on digging - deeper underground.
Always keep on digging till the black gold is found.
With a pick-axe I’m digging my way,
Illumination was poor, either night or day.
The work was hard and dangerous, the risk was compensated.
But dying in your forties makes it highly overrated.
Falling debris and blackdamp explosions
It’s a common tragedy.
Every day, we’re risking our lives.
For The Black Mining Company
For The Black Mining Company
For The Black Mining Company
I’m glad we had our Davy-lamps to protect us down below.
Every day dust fills my lungs and makes them black as coal.
1877 Blantyre, Scotland: 207 miners died by an explosion
1906 Courriere, France: 1099 miners died by in a collapsing mineshaft
1907 Monongah, USA: 362 miners died by an firedamp explosion
1942 Benxihu, China: 1549 miners died by an dust explosion
1945 El Teniente, Chile; 355 miners died by Carbon Monoxide