Now you are born, another to feed
Small are our wants lad but great is our need
For the work is scarce, yer dad's on the dole
They want nee mair men 'cos they've got too much coal.
Wee knaas wee yer cryin' for?
Wee knaas wee made us so poor?
Wee knaas what yer ganna dee?
Wee knaas what's in store for ye?
Now you're a boy, yer play in the streets
Fish in the burn and performing great feats
While the pit heaps stand, marking the graves
Of fathers and sons and the lives that they gave.
Wee knaas wee yer cryin' for?
Wee knaas wee made us so poor?
Wee knaas what yer ganna dee?
Wee knaas what's in store for ye?
Now you've left school, a man at thirteen
Yer mother is grim as she looks at the scene
And she makes up yer bait, yer off down below
And away t' the pit with yer father yer go.
Wee knaas wee yer cryin' for?
Wee knaas wee made us so poor?
Wee knaas what yer ganna dee?
Wee knaas what's in store for ye?
Now yer a man, yer work in the mine
With fightin' with strugglin' yer old for yer time
For the work is hard, conditions are bad
And yer promise yer son lad what ye nivver had.
Wee knaas wee yer cryin' for?
Wee knaas wee made us so poor?
Wee knaas what yer ganna dee?
Wee knaas what's in store for ye?
Now you are old, yer've worked aal yer can
But they're closin' the pits and yer part of the plan
To cut out waste, make the mines pay
So t' hell with yer now lad and be on yer way.
Small are our wants lad but great is our need
For the work is scarce, yer dad's on the dole
They want nee mair men 'cos they've got too much coal.
Wee knaas wee yer cryin' for?
Wee knaas wee made us so poor?
Wee knaas what yer ganna dee?
Wee knaas what's in store for ye?
Now you're a boy, yer play in the streets
Fish in the burn and performing great feats
While the pit heaps stand, marking the graves
Of fathers and sons and the lives that they gave.
Wee knaas wee yer cryin' for?
Wee knaas wee made us so poor?
Wee knaas what yer ganna dee?
Wee knaas what's in store for ye?
Now you've left school, a man at thirteen
Yer mother is grim as she looks at the scene
And she makes up yer bait, yer off down below
And away t' the pit with yer father yer go.
Wee knaas wee yer cryin' for?
Wee knaas wee made us so poor?
Wee knaas what yer ganna dee?
Wee knaas what's in store for ye?
Now yer a man, yer work in the mine
With fightin' with strugglin' yer old for yer time
For the work is hard, conditions are bad
And yer promise yer son lad what ye nivver had.
Wee knaas wee yer cryin' for?
Wee knaas wee made us so poor?
Wee knaas what yer ganna dee?
Wee knaas what's in store for ye?
Now you are old, yer've worked aal yer can
But they're closin' the pits and yer part of the plan
To cut out waste, make the mines pay
So t' hell with yer now lad and be on yer way.
Contributed by Dead End - 2012/7/16 - 16:28
Language: Scots
La versione di Dick Gaughan
ONE MINER'S LIFE
Nou ye are born, anither tae feed
Smaa is our wants, lad, but great is our need
For wark is scarce, yer dad's on the dole
They want nae mair men for they've got too much coal
[Chorus]
Whae kens whae yer cryin for?
Whae kens whae made us sae puir?
Whae kens what ye're gaunnae be?
Whae kens what's in store for ye?
Nou ye're a boy, ye play in the streets
Fishin the burn an performin great feats
While the pitheap stands, markin the graves
O faithers an sons an the lives that they gave
Nou ye've left school, ye're a man at thirteen
Yer mither is grim as she looks on the scene
As she maks up yer piece, ye're aff doun below
An awa tae the pit wi yer faither ye go
Nou ye're a man, ye wark in the mine
Wi fightin an strugglin ye're auld fore yer time
For the wark is hard, conditions are bad
An ye've promised yer bairns aa the things ye've no had
Nou ye are auld, ye've warked aa ye can
But they're closin the pit and ye're pairt o a plan
Tae cut out waste an mak the mines pay
Sae tae hell wi ye nou lad an be on yer way
Nou ye are born, anither tae feed
Smaa is our wants, lad, but great is our need
For wark is scarce, yer dad's on the dole
They want nae mair men for they've got too much coal
[Chorus]
Whae kens whae yer cryin for?
Whae kens whae made us sae puir?
Whae kens what ye're gaunnae be?
Whae kens what's in store for ye?
Nou ye're a boy, ye play in the streets
Fishin the burn an performin great feats
While the pitheap stands, markin the graves
O faithers an sons an the lives that they gave
Nou ye've left school, ye're a man at thirteen
Yer mither is grim as she looks on the scene
As she maks up yer piece, ye're aff doun below
An awa tae the pit wi yer faither ye go
Nou ye're a man, ye wark in the mine
Wi fightin an strugglin ye're auld fore yer time
For the wark is hard, conditions are bad
An ye've promised yer bairns aa the things ye've no had
Nou ye are auld, ye've warked aa ye can
But they're closin the pit and ye're pairt o a plan
Tae cut out waste an mak the mines pay
Sae tae hell wi ye nou lad an be on yer way
Contributed by Dead End - 2012/7/16 - 16:31
×
![]()
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.
Scritto nell’inglese che si parla in County Durham (p.e. “wee knaas” per “we knows”)
Anche Dick Gaughan l’ha proposta nell’album “True and Bold” del 1986, ma dandone un’interpretazione nello scots di Lothian.
Testo trovato su Union Songs
Dalla culla alla bara, la dura vita del minatore che Ed Pickford conobbe da vicino…