Hello, coal miners, I'm so proud to be your friend
For the finest folks I ever knew were coal mining women and men
Were coal mining women and men
I was born in old Kentucky way back in 1910
My daddy and my brothers, they were all coal mining men
They were all coal mining men
My daddy was a preacher, but he loaded coal as well
He wanted to spread the word of God, and save poor souls from Hell
And save poor souls from Hell
He traveled over the mountains, through the heat and through the cold
But he died and went to Heaven when I was twelve years old
He died and went to Heaven when I was twelve years old
My mother was a Christian, she served God all her life
She worked hard for her children, and she was a miner's wife
She was a miner's wife
She taught the love of Jesus to women and to men
All colors, all religions, they were my mother's friends
They were my mother's friends
I married a young coal miner when I was just sixteen
I was the happiest little girl that you have ever seen
I was the happiest little girl that you have ever seen
My handsome young coal miner, I loved him dear as life
I thought my life would be heaven if I could be his wife
If I could be his wife
My mother tried to stop me and so did brother Jim
But there's no one in this whole world could stop me loving him
Could stop me loving him
I didn't want to listen to what they said to me
So we ran away and got married to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
To Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
He worked in the coal mine, from early morn 'til late
I was afraid he'd breathe in the black damp, or that he'd be killed with slate
Or that he'd be killed with slate
I was afraid there'd be a fire in the mines, or maybe a cave-in
As so often happens to coal mining men
As so often happens to coal mining men
He called our little son to him, and said "Son, please sit down
I'll want to tell you something. while I'm still around
Don't ever work in the coal mines, down in the dark cold ground
Always listen to Mother, she'll never let you down
And always listen to Mother, she'll never let you down"
We hugged our little children, told them not to cry
They didn't know their daddy soon was going to die
They didn't know their daddy soon was going to die
They come up to a miner's wife, say "I know how you feel"
These dirty, rich aristocrats who never missed a meal
They never spent a lonely night, or heard their children cry
Or had to tell their children why daddy had to die
Or had to tell their children why daddy had to die
And so my friends I sing my little song to you
Black lung it killed my husband when he was thirty-two
Black lung it killed my husband when he was thirty-two
And now I'm old and all alone and I will soon be gone
But I want my friends to think of me and always sing this song
And always sing my songs
For the finest folks I ever knew were coal mining women and men
Were coal mining women and men
I was born in old Kentucky way back in 1910
My daddy and my brothers, they were all coal mining men
They were all coal mining men
My daddy was a preacher, but he loaded coal as well
He wanted to spread the word of God, and save poor souls from Hell
And save poor souls from Hell
He traveled over the mountains, through the heat and through the cold
But he died and went to Heaven when I was twelve years old
He died and went to Heaven when I was twelve years old
My mother was a Christian, she served God all her life
She worked hard for her children, and she was a miner's wife
She was a miner's wife
She taught the love of Jesus to women and to men
All colors, all religions, they were my mother's friends
They were my mother's friends
I married a young coal miner when I was just sixteen
I was the happiest little girl that you have ever seen
I was the happiest little girl that you have ever seen
My handsome young coal miner, I loved him dear as life
I thought my life would be heaven if I could be his wife
If I could be his wife
My mother tried to stop me and so did brother Jim
But there's no one in this whole world could stop me loving him
Could stop me loving him
I didn't want to listen to what they said to me
So we ran away and got married to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
To Cumberland Gap, Tennessee
He worked in the coal mine, from early morn 'til late
I was afraid he'd breathe in the black damp, or that he'd be killed with slate
Or that he'd be killed with slate
I was afraid there'd be a fire in the mines, or maybe a cave-in
As so often happens to coal mining men
As so often happens to coal mining men
He called our little son to him, and said "Son, please sit down
I'll want to tell you something. while I'm still around
Don't ever work in the coal mines, down in the dark cold ground
Always listen to Mother, she'll never let you down
And always listen to Mother, she'll never let you down"
We hugged our little children, told them not to cry
They didn't know their daddy soon was going to die
They didn't know their daddy soon was going to die
They come up to a miner's wife, say "I know how you feel"
These dirty, rich aristocrats who never missed a meal
They never spent a lonely night, or heard their children cry
Or had to tell their children why daddy had to die
Or had to tell their children why daddy had to die
And so my friends I sing my little song to you
Black lung it killed my husband when he was thirty-two
Black lung it killed my husband when he was thirty-two
And now I'm old and all alone and I will soon be gone
But I want my friends to think of me and always sing this song
And always sing my songs
inviata da Bernart Bartleby - 29/9/2019 - 13:11
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Forse una delle ultime canzoni di Sarah Ogan Gunning (1910-1983), cantautrice ed attivista per i diritti dei minatori nel Kentucky.
Un brano – un vero e proprio testamento di vita e spirituale – che non compare nella discografia dell'autrice ma solo nella raccolta "They'll Never Keep Us Down: Women's Coal Mining Songs", pubblicata un anno dopo la scomparsa della Ogan Gunning.
Testo trovato su LyricWiki