Springhill Mine Disaster Songtext
von Martin Carthy

In the town of Springhill Nova Scotia
Deep in the heart of the Cumberland Mine
There′s blood on the coal and the miners lie
In roads that never saw sun nor sky
Roads that never saw sun nor sky

In the town of Springhill you don't sleep easy
Often the earth would tremble and roll
When the earth is restless miners die
Bone and blood is the price of coal
Bone and blood is the price of coal

In the town of Springhill Nova Scotia
Late in the year of 58
The day still comes and the sun still shines
But it′s dark as the grave in the Cumberland Mine
Dark as the grave in the Cumberland Mine


Down at the coal face miners working
Rattle of the belts and the cutter blades
Then a rumble of rock and the walls close round
Living and the dead men two miles down
Living and the dead men two miles down

Twelve men lay two miles from the pitshaft
Twelve men lay in the dark and sang
Long hot days in the miner's tomb
It was three foot wide by a hundred long
Three foot wide by a hundred long

Three days passed and the lights gave out
When the leading man got up and said
There's no more water nor light nor bread
So we′ll live on songs of hope instead
Live on songs of hope instead

Listen for the shouts of the bareface miners
Listen through the rubble for the rescue team
Six hundred feet of coal and slag
Hope imprisoned in a three-foot seam
Hope imprisoned in a three-foot seam


Eight days passed and some were rescued
Leaving the rest to die alone
Through all their lives they dug a grave
Two miles of earth for a marking stone
Two miles of earth for a marking stone