Coal Not Dole
Echoes of Industry: Unveiling the Silent Tale of a Shuttered Coal Mine
Lyrics
They stand so proud, the wheels so still
Reflecting on the stillness of idle coal mining equipment and the absence of movement.
A ghost-like figure on the hill
Describing the machinery as a ghostly presence on the hill, highlighting its eerie and abandoned nature.
It seems so strange, there is no sound
Noting the unusual quietness, emphasizing the absence of the usual sounds associated with mining activities.
Now there are no men underground
Acknowledging the cessation of mining and the absence of men working underground.
What will become of this pit yard?
Pondering the future of the coal mine and its surroundings.
Where men once trampled faces hard
Recalling the laborious work of miners who left their mark on the coal pit.
So tired and weary, their shift's done
Describing the fatigue of miners at the end of their shift, having never experienced daylight during work.
Never having seen the sun!
Highlighting the harsh conditions of underground work and the lack of exposure to sunlight.
There'll always be a happy hour
Commenting on the existence of leisure time for those in positions of wealth and power.
For those with money, jobs and power
Emphasizing the obliviousness of the privileged to the suffering imposed on workers.
They'll never realise the hurt
Expressing the ignorance of those with power about the pain they inflict on mistreated workers.
They cause to men they treat like dirt
Conveying the harm caused to workers treated poorly by those in authority.
Will it become a sacred ground
Speculating on whether the abandoned mine will become a revered or memorialized site.
Foreign tourists gazing round
Imagining foreign tourists exploring the site and inquiring about its historical labor significance.
Asking if men once worked here
Pondering whether people will inquire about the men who once worked beneath the pit head gear.
Way beneath this pit head gear?
Empty trucks once filled with coal
Noting the presence of empty trucks that were once filled with coal.
Lined up like men on the dole
Comparing the lined-up trucks to unemployed men waiting for jobs (on the dole).
Will they ever be used again
Raising the question of whether the trucks will be utilized again or abandoned like the unemployed workers.
Or left for scrap just like the men?
Wondering if the trucks will be discarded, mirroring the fate of unemployed men.
There'll always be a happy hour
Reiterating the existence of leisure for the privileged while emphasizing the contrast with the suffering of workers.
For those with money, jobs and power
Highlighting the continued ignorance of the powerful regarding the pain inflicted on mistreated workers.
They'll never realise the hurt
Expressing the enduring lack of understanding by those in power about the harm they cause to workers.
They cause to men they treat like dirt
Reiterating the theme of the privileged causing suffering to workers who are treated poorly.
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