The Alum Mining Industry existed on the North East Coast around Whitby for 300 years till the 1880's when a new chemical for fixing dyes was discovered. This song gives a Miner's eye view of the job.
lyrics
ALUM MINER’S SONG
CHORUS
Blue shale, blue shale, running up and down.
Blue shale, blue shale, running up and down.
Fill the barrow, empty. Fill the barrow, empty.
Blue shale, blue shale, running up and down.
On the sands brushwood burns,
Shale is roasting till it turns.
Nine months, babbies born,
Waters flush it into vat,
Barrel in a load of piss,
Boil it up in that.
CHORUS
Float an egg, float an egg,
See if ‘mothers’ done,
Float and egg, float an egg,
See if Alum’s come.
Run it off, cool it down,
See the crystals form.
Alum for the dyer,
For pretty colours worn.
CHORUS
Alum makes the colours stick,
Red or blue or green,
A pretty girl, a pretty coat,
Finery all clean.
All clean from mucky work,
The ladies never know
What they’re wearing on their backs
Started in the Po.
FINAL CHORUS
Blue shale, blue shale, running up and down.
Blue shale blue shale, running up and down.
Fill the barrow, empty. Fill the barrow, empty.
Blue shale, blue shale, running up and down.
Blue shale, blue shale, running up and down.
Blue shale, blue shale, running up and down.
Blue shale, blue shale.
Running up and down.
TONY MORRIS is an Own Brand Performer and Entertainer who performs his own songs and music.".
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