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This place has changed for good
Your economic theory said it would
It's hard for us to understand
We can't give up our jobs the way we should
Our blood has stained the coal
We tunneled deep inside the nation's soul
We matter more than pounds and pence
Your economic theory makes no sense
One day in a nuclear age
They may understand our rage
They build machines that they can't control
And bury the waste in a great big hole
Power was to become cheap and clean
Grimy faces were never seen
Deadly for twelve thousand years is carbon fourteen
We work the black seam together
We work the black seam together
The seam lies underground
Three million years of pressure packed it down
We walk through ancient forest lands
And light a thousand cities with our hands
Your dark satanic mills
Have made redundant all our mining skills
You can't exchange a six inch band
For all the poisoned streams in Cumberland
Your economic theory makes no sense
One day in a nuclear age
They may understand our rage
They build machines that they can't control
And bury the waste in a great big hole
Power was to become cheap and clean
Grimy faces were never seen
Deadly for twelve thousand years is carbon fourteen
We work the black seam together
We work the black seam together
Should the children weep
The turning world will sing their souls to sleep
When you have sunk without a trace
The universe will suck me into place
One day in a nuclear age
They may understand our rage
They build machines that they can't control
And bury the waste in a great big hole
Power was to become cheap and clean
Grimy faces were never seen
But deadly for twelve thousand years is carbon fourteen
We work the black seam together
We work the black seam together
Your economic theory said it would
It's hard for us to understand
We can't give up our jobs the way we should
Our blood has stained the coal
We tunneled deep inside the nation's soul
We matter more than pounds and pence
Your economic theory makes no sense
One day in a nuclear age
They may understand our rage
They build machines that they can't control
And bury the waste in a great big hole
Power was to become cheap and clean
Grimy faces were never seen
Deadly for twelve thousand years is carbon fourteen
We work the black seam together
We work the black seam together
The seam lies underground
Three million years of pressure packed it down
We walk through ancient forest lands
And light a thousand cities with our hands
Your dark satanic mills
Have made redundant all our mining skills
You can't exchange a six inch band
For all the poisoned streams in Cumberland
Your economic theory makes no sense
One day in a nuclear age
They may understand our rage
They build machines that they can't control
And bury the waste in a great big hole
Power was to become cheap and clean
Grimy faces were never seen
Deadly for twelve thousand years is carbon fourteen
We work the black seam together
We work the black seam together
Should the children weep
The turning world will sing their souls to sleep
When you have sunk without a trace
The universe will suck me into place
One day in a nuclear age
They may understand our rage
They build machines that they can't control
And bury the waste in a great big hole
Power was to become cheap and clean
Grimy faces were never seen
But deadly for twelve thousand years is carbon fourteen
We work the black seam together
We work the black seam together
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The song is for those who gave two fingers at Mrs.T's funeral.
"your economic theory makes no sense".
After almost three decades this song was written, British energy / economic strategy has proven to be wrong by Japan (ie. Fukushima). The nuclear energy is not cheep in a long run.
An Irony is that the economy of Sting himself (who also came from the northern part of England) was thriving in the Thatcher era.
Alternatively, it could be a reference to carbon dating, which would underline the plight of the British mining industry. I don't think this is as likely though, it seems a bit far-fetched.
I always imagined that he was on the one hand expressing concern about nuclear waste, but at the same time making fun of people who use bogus facts to prove their case (a big bugbear of mine). As you say, the Carbon-14 allusion is totally meaningless, because it's naturally occurring and perfectly safe. If I remember rightly, it's normally 4 or 5 half lives before things are generally considered safe, so if Carbon-14 were dangerous, it would be say 25,000 years anyway.
Rather typical of me to let this fact get to me for the last 20 years, but thenthe song was released while I was studying for Physics A'Level...
What I do know is that this song simply sneds tingles as I hear it. It sounds fantastic! And if it weren't on such a politicla issue, it would be my favourite song. *nods* That's all I had to say :)
is sting implying that there's something deadly about knowing the age of carbonous material? coal, perhaps?
curious that he wouldn't decry the radioactive material used in nuclear power, uranium 235.
what do you all think about that?
It could be seen as a commentary on "progress" as well. This is the dirty work that makes general bearable living of "Civilization" possible. People deep underground, stained black and getting sick, so that we may turn on the lights at home. And when the coal is gone, what will happen to them?
All the more reason why we should think before we act, and consider the costs of industry....
Oh yeah, and there is no safe amount of any radioactive element. Anything radioactive can cause problems in humans.