A dialogue I'll tell you as true as my life
Between a coal-owner and a poor pitman's wife
As she was a-travelling all on the highway
She met a coal owner and this she did say
Derry down, down, down Derry down
Good morning, Lord Firedamp, the woman she said
I'll do you no harm, sir, don't be afraid
If you'd been where I've been for most of my life
You wouldn't turn pale at a poor pitman's wife
Derry down, down, down Derry down
Then where have you been, the owner he cried
I've been in hell, the poor woman replied
If you come from hell then tell me quite plain
How you contrived to get out again
Derry down, down, down Derry down
Aye, sir, the truth I will tell
They're turning the poor folk all out of hell
This it to make room for the rich wicked race
There are a great number of them in that place
Derry down, down, down Derry down
And the coal owners' selves is the next on command
To arrive into Hell, as I understand
For I heard the old Devil say as I came out
The coal-owners all had received their rout
Derry down, down, down Derry down...
How does the devil behave in that place?
Sir, he is cruel to the rich wicked race
Far more cruel than you can suppose
Like a mad bull with a ring through his nose
Derry down, down, down Derry down
Good woman, says he, I must bid you farewell
You give me a dismal account about hell
If this be all true that you say unto me
I'll home like a whippet, with my poor men agree
Derry down, down, down Derry down...
If you be an owner, sir, take my advice
Agree with your men and give them full price
If you do not, I know very well
You'll be in great danger of going to hell
Derry down, down, down Derry down...
Between a coal-owner and a poor pitman's wife
As she was a-travelling all on the highway
She met a coal owner and this she did say
Derry down, down, down Derry down
Good morning, Lord Firedamp, the woman she said
I'll do you no harm, sir, don't be afraid
If you'd been where I've been for most of my life
You wouldn't turn pale at a poor pitman's wife
Derry down, down, down Derry down
Then where have you been, the owner he cried
I've been in hell, the poor woman replied
If you come from hell then tell me quite plain
How you contrived to get out again
Derry down, down, down Derry down
Aye, sir, the truth I will tell
They're turning the poor folk all out of hell
This it to make room for the rich wicked race
There are a great number of them in that place
Derry down, down, down Derry down
And the coal owners' selves is the next on command
To arrive into Hell, as I understand
For I heard the old Devil say as I came out
The coal-owners all had received their rout
Derry down, down, down Derry down...
How does the devil behave in that place?
Sir, he is cruel to the rich wicked race
Far more cruel than you can suppose
Like a mad bull with a ring through his nose
Derry down, down, down Derry down
Good woman, says he, I must bid you farewell
You give me a dismal account about hell
If this be all true that you say unto me
I'll home like a whippet, with my poor men agree
Derry down, down, down Derry down...
If you be an owner, sir, take my advice
Agree with your men and give them full price
If you do not, I know very well
You'll be in great danger of going to hell
Derry down, down, down Derry down...
Contributed by giorgio - 2010/5/22 - 14:42
Language: Italian
Versione italiana come interpretata da Maria Carta nel suo album intitolato “Vi canto una storia assai vera” del 1976 (crediti: Bellugi-Ghiglia)
IL PADRONE DEL CARBONE E LA MOGLIE DEL MINATORE
Adesso vi canto una storia assai vera
del ricco padrone di una miniera
che di un minatore la moglie incontrò
e in mezzo alla strada fermarlo ella osò.
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Buon giorno, signore, non abbia timore,
son solo la moglie di un suo minatore:
se lei fosse stato là dove so io
non avrebbe paura nemmeno di Dio.”
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Conosco la zona, è un po’ fredda d'inverno".
"No, non la conosce, si chiama l'inferno."
"Ridicola donna, che cosa ne sai?
Chi entra all'inferno non ritorna mai."
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Eppur ci son stata, signore e padrone.
Lo sa che all'inferno c’è la rivoluzione?
La povera gente la cacciano via
per fare più posto a chi fa la razzia.''
deri daun daun daun deri daun
“E proprio ne uscivo di là ieri sera,
ci entravano molti padron di miniera,
e il capo dei diavoli, brandendo il forcon,
ma proprio al suo nome faceva allusion."
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Ma per i padroni avrà dei riguardi."
"Sì certo, nel fuoco li sbatte coi guanti,
di olio li annaffia, di pece ancor più,
e quando son cotti li butta laggiù."
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Donna" lui disse "ti faccio un saluto,
l’inferno che dici mi è poco piaciuto
e corro in miniera a tutto vapor
per fare l’accordo coi miei minator.”
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Signore" lei disse "non solo é peccato
rubare alla gente il salario fissato
ma va all'inferno con buona ragion
chiunque degli altri si faccia padron."
deri daun daun daun deri daun.
Adesso vi canto una storia assai vera
del ricco padrone di una miniera
che di un minatore la moglie incontrò
e in mezzo alla strada fermarlo ella osò.
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Buon giorno, signore, non abbia timore,
son solo la moglie di un suo minatore:
se lei fosse stato là dove so io
non avrebbe paura nemmeno di Dio.”
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Conosco la zona, è un po’ fredda d'inverno".
"No, non la conosce, si chiama l'inferno."
"Ridicola donna, che cosa ne sai?
Chi entra all'inferno non ritorna mai."
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Eppur ci son stata, signore e padrone.
Lo sa che all'inferno c’è la rivoluzione?
La povera gente la cacciano via
per fare più posto a chi fa la razzia.''
deri daun daun daun deri daun
“E proprio ne uscivo di là ieri sera,
ci entravano molti padron di miniera,
e il capo dei diavoli, brandendo il forcon,
ma proprio al suo nome faceva allusion."
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Ma per i padroni avrà dei riguardi."
"Sì certo, nel fuoco li sbatte coi guanti,
di olio li annaffia, di pece ancor più,
e quando son cotti li butta laggiù."
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Donna" lui disse "ti faccio un saluto,
l’inferno che dici mi è poco piaciuto
e corro in miniera a tutto vapor
per fare l’accordo coi miei minator.”
deri daun daun daun deri daun
"Signore" lei disse "non solo é peccato
rubare alla gente il salario fissato
ma va all'inferno con buona ragion
chiunque degli altri si faccia padron."
deri daun daun daun deri daun.
Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2014/6/3 - 13:26
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Note for non-Italian users: Sorry, though the interface of this website is translated into English, most commentaries and biographies are in Italian and/or in other languages like French, German, Spanish, Russian etc.
Lyrics by William Hornsby (a collier of Shotton Moor, during the "Great Strike")
Music: The tune belongs to the great family of "Henry Martin" and a score of ballads with 'Derrydown' refrain
Album: The Iron Muse - A Panorama of Industrial Folk Music
Another propaganda ballad, written by William Hornsby and published as a broadside during the 1844 strike, this time extolling the heroic and steadfast virtues of the women in the coalfield. Like many songs of the time it used an existing popular folk tune.