Afternoon Matinee: Protest - Blackleg Miner

Performed by Steeleye Span

It's in the evening after dark

When the blackleg miner creeps to work

With his moleskin pants and dirty shirt

There goes the blackleg miner

Well he grabs his duds and down he goes

To hew the coal that lies below

There's not a woman in this town row

Will look at the blackleg miner

Oh Delaval is a terrible place

They rub wet clay in the blackleg's face

And around the heaps they run a foot race

To catch the blackleg miner

And divvnt gan near the Seghill mine

Across the way they stretch a line

To catch the throat and break the spine

Of the dirty blackleg miner

They grab his duds and his picks as well

They hoy him down to the pit of hell

Down you go and fare yee well

You dirty blackleg miner

It's in the evening after dark

When the blackleg miner creeps to work

With his moleskin pants and dirty shirt

There goes the blackleg miner

So join the union while you may

Don't wait 'til your dying day

For that may not be far away

You dirty blackleg miner

~ from Lyric Wiki ~