He's had more hard luck than most men could stand
the mines were his first love, but never his friend
he's lived a hard life, and hard he'll die
Black Lung's done got him, his time is nigh
Black lung, black lung, you're just biding your time
Soon all this suffering I'll leave behind
But I can't help wonder what God had in mind
To send such a devil, to claim this soul of mine
He went to the boss man, but he closed the door
it seems you're not wanted when you're sick and you're poor
you're not even covered in their medical plans
and your life depends on the favors of man
Down in the poorhouse on starvation's plan
Where pride is a stranger and doomed is a man
His soul full of coal dust 'ill his body's decayed
Everyone but black lung's done turned him away.
Black lung black lung your hand's icy cold
As you reach for my life and you tourture my soul
Cold as that waterhole down in that dar eave
Where I spent my life's blood digging my own grave
Down at the gravyard the boss man came
With his little bunch of flowers
Dear God! What a shame
Take back those flowers, don't sing no sad songs
The die has been cast now
A good man is gone.
the mines were his first love, but never his friend
he's lived a hard life, and hard he'll die
Black Lung's done got him, his time is nigh
Black lung, black lung, you're just biding your time
Soon all this suffering I'll leave behind
But I can't help wonder what God had in mind
To send such a devil, to claim this soul of mine
He went to the boss man, but he closed the door
it seems you're not wanted when you're sick and you're poor
you're not even covered in their medical plans
and your life depends on the favors of man
Down in the poorhouse on starvation's plan
Where pride is a stranger and doomed is a man
His soul full of coal dust 'ill his body's decayed
Everyone but black lung's done turned him away.
Black lung black lung your hand's icy cold
As you reach for my life and you tourture my soul
Cold as that waterhole down in that dar eave
Where I spent my life's blood digging my own grave
Down at the gravyard the boss man came
With his little bunch of flowers
Dear God! What a shame
Take back those flowers, don't sing no sad songs
The die has been cast now
A good man is gone.
envoyé par Dead End - 5/9/2012 - 09:11
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Nel disco collettivo “Strange Creek Singers” pubblicato nel 1970 dalla Arhoolie Records.
La Dickens era qui in formazione con Mike Seeger, Tracy Schwarz, Alice Gerrard e Lamar Grier.
Testo trovato su YouTube
Una canzone autobiografica giacchè la Dickens fu costretta ad assistere alla terribile agonia del fratello Thurman, minatore, morto di pneumoconiosi e di povertà, non avendo i soldi per potersi curare. (da "Working Girl Blues", autobiografia di hazel Dickens pubblicata nel 2008)
Sulla “malattia del polmone nero”, la pneumoconiosi, antracosi, silicosi e le altre malattie professionali che colpiscono i minatori, in specie quelli del carbone si vedano anche, per esempio, Black Lung Blues, Black Lung Song, Il minatore di Frontale, He Fades Away e Dogs at Midnight.