I love this song. Gentle and calm, but about tough and dangerous things (both the cut-throat world of the new clubs, and, of course, the mining communities).
I never understood what “they gather round the glass” meant so thanks, psychobob for pointing out that the ghosts of the mining people are around the car, presumably to meet a new ghost who’s met a violent, lonely end a little like they have.
Oh and the jobs mentioned at the end of the song are:
The hewer is the man who actually hacks the coal from the seam. The crutter was the man who cut the passages towards the coal seams, often using explosives.
The trappers were (heartbreakingly) young children who operated wooden trap doors to let through the carts. The traps were there to direct the fresh air and ventilate the mine. These children would remain at their posts, in the dust and darkness for up to eighteen hours a day.
Putters were the men who loaded and took away the baskets or barrows of coal left by the hewers. Often a boy would be used for his agility and size, but if he wasn’t strong enough to carry the baskets, he’d have an even smaller boy to help. This little lad was known as a foal and the bigger boy was called a half-marrow. Foal here refers to a child not a pit pony.
The hod boys took the baskets of coal to the wagons, which would usually be pulled by pit ponies to take the coal out along the passages, or rolley ways. The rolley-way men made sure these passages, which the ponies used, remained clear and free-flowing.
Incidentally, black lung is pneumoconiosis, caused, as you’d expect, by inhaling coal dust.
I love this song. Gentle and calm, but about tough and dangerous things (both the cut-throat world of the new clubs, and, of course, the mining communities).
I never understood what “they gather round the glass” meant so thanks, psychobob for pointing out that the ghosts of the mining people are around the car, presumably to meet a new ghost who’s met a violent, lonely end a little like they have.
Oh and the jobs mentioned at the end of the song are:
The hewer is the man who actually hacks the coal from the seam. The crutter was the man who cut the passages towards the coal seams, often using explosives.
The trappers were (heartbreakingly) young children who operated wooden trap doors to let through the carts. The traps were there to direct the fresh air and ventilate the mine. These children would remain at their posts, in the dust and darkness for up to eighteen hours a day.
Putters were the men who loaded and took away the baskets or barrows of coal left by the hewers. Often a boy would be used for his agility and size, but if he wasn’t strong enough to carry the baskets, he’d have an even smaller boy to help. This little lad was known as a foal and the bigger boy was called a half-marrow. Foal here refers to a child not a pit pony.
The hod boys took the baskets of coal to the wagons, which would usually be pulled by pit ponies to take the coal out along the passages, or rolley ways. The rolley-way men made sure these passages, which the ponies used, remained clear and free-flowing.
Incidentally, black lung is pneumoconiosis, caused, as you’d expect, by inhaling coal dust.
wow, these details add a lot to the lyrics. thanks.
wow, these details add a lot to the lyrics. thanks.