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The Ironstone Miner's Wife

from Trappy Lad by Tony Morris

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The Womans point of view. The song refers to the fact that if a miner was killed or injured and could no longer work in the mine, the family was put out of their house on the next pay day.

lyrics

CHORUS
My man, he is a miner,
He hews the iron stone.
I live in fear of pit whistle
And to see him carried home.

Feet first or last, no matter,
We could still be out on street.
If he can’t use a pick and shovel,
He can’t go down the pit,
Then he’ll no longer be a miner,
Next pay day we’ll have to flit.
Aye, but with six bairns where’ll we flit to
And we’ll have to beg our bread.
If my man can’t work for our living
We’d all be better dead.
CHORUS
Well, all this I daren’t speak often,
For fear of bringing bad luck,
But I can’t stop myself from thinking
When I’m washing out all the muck.
Aye, iron mining is a mucky job,
Over boot tops all day in water
But any jobs better than being dead,
Bairns need food, a roof over their heads.
CHORUS




When first the two of us walked here
We lived in a leaky tent.
Then the Company built some houses
And inside trap we went.
The house, it goes along with the job,
So now we’ve got no options;
The Company must get its way
And the owners live in mansions.
CHORUS
‘Between a rock and a hard place’,
As the Good Book puts it clear,
The rock of the ironstone face
And the maisters grip of fear.
And a woman’s work is never done,
For us there are no shifts
But still we tremble when we see
Our men walk down the drift.

My man, he is a miner,
He hews the iron stone.
I live in fear of pit whistle
And to see him carried home.

credits

from Trappy Lad, released October 29, 2014

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Tony Morris Whitby, UK

TONY MORRIS is an Own Brand Performer and Entertainer who performs his own songs and music.".
Currently running Covideo Folk Club Facebook Group.
About 200 rough and ready warts and all videos on his Facebook Profile Site, Be amazed. ... more

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