Lyrics
Old man Jim Bristol was fighting for his life
Old man Jim Bristol was in a life-threatening situation.
Didn't know what hit him, on the fateful night
He was unaware of what caused the situation on that unfortunate night.
Seems like a chain came loose from somewhere up above
It appears that a malfunction or failure occurred from above.
And when it fell down below, men scrambled to their death
As a consequence, chaos ensued, leading to fatal consequences.
Jim was a good man by each and every step
Jim was a consistently good person.
When the dust had settled, he was gasping for his breath
After the turmoil settled, he struggled to breathe.
He couldn't feel his legs below it must be something bad
He lost sensation in his legs, indicating a severe injury.
Trapped in a furnace room, buried to his chest
He was trapped, partially buried in a furnace room.
Seems like the men he crewed lost all their lives
It seems all the men he worked with perished.
Jim's the last man that is seemingly alive
Jim appeared to be the sole survivor.
He could hear the siren's howl and screams from up above
He could hear distressing sounds from outside where others were.
Trapped in a furnace room in 1985
Jim's dire situation occurred in 1985 in a furnace room.
43 foot ladle, filling to the top
There was a ladle of significant size (43 foot) filling up.
Drops of molten steel fall down, burn with every drop
Molten steel drops were causing severe burns.
If someone doesn't flip that switch, they'll all surely die
Failure to activate a switch would lead to certain death for all.
Trapped in a furnace room in 1985
This deadly situation was in the same furnace room in 1985.
Jim was barely breathing when he opened up his eyes
Jim was barely conscious when he regained awareness.
Told the worker flip that switch or they'll all surely die
He urgently instructed a worker to activate a crucial switch.
Worker climbed up to get a hold of that control
A worker attempted to reach the control.
That's when it all broke loose, 60 tons did roll
A catastrophic event occurred where 60 tons moved unexpectedly.
In each casket lays an ingot 43 in all
Each casket contains an ingot symbolizing the lost men.
Cut to the height and weight of every man they lost
The ingots are tailored to represent the lost individuals.
Everyone was present not a dry eye to be found
All were present to mourn, and emotions were intense.
The bag pipes played, shots were fired
Traditional funeral rituals were performed.
Lay Jim in the ground.
Jim was laid to rest after these events.
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