The Springhill Disaster

Am             G           Am   G
In the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia,
Am                      C          Am
Down in the dark of the Cumberland mine,
                     C            G      Em
There's blood on the coal and the miners lie
Am                G         Am      G
In the roads that never saw sun nor sky,
Am         G         Am      E7
Roads that never saw sun nor sky.


[Verse 2]
       Am      G              Am          G
In the town of Springhill you don't sleep easy,
Am                   C           Am
Often the Earth will tremble and roll;
                  C         G      Em
When the Earth is restless, miners die;
Am                    G        Am
Bone and blood is the price of coal,
Am       G            Am       E7
Bone and blood is the price of coal.


[Verse 3]
       Am      G           Am   G
In the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia,
Am                   C           Am
Late in the year of '58,
          C             G         Em
Day still comes and the Sun still shines,
         Am          G            Am         G
But it's dark as the grave in the Cumberland mine,
Am          G            Am         E7
Dark as the grave in the Cumberland mine.


[Verse 4]
Am          G          Am     G
Down at the coal-face, miners working,
Am            C            Am
Rattle of the belt and the cutter's blade;
C                       G           Em
Rumble of rock, and the walls close 'round:
    Am            G         Am        G
The living and the dead men two miles down,
Am             G        Am        E7
Living and the dead men two miles down.


[Verse 5]
Am          G       Am           G
Twelve men lay two miles from the pit-shaft;
Am         C           Am
Twelve men lay in the dark and sang.
C                    G      Em
Long hot days in the miners tomb:
       Am         G          Am      G
It was three feet high and a hundred long,
Am         G          Am      E7
Three feet high and a hundred long.


[Verse 6]
Am         G              Am         G
Three days passed and the lamps gave out,
Am            C                Am
And Kaehler Brushen, he up and said,
C                           G          Em
"There's no more water, nor light, nor bread,
   Am            G         Am      G
So we'll live on songs and hope instead,
Am                G    Am        E7
Live on songs and hope instead."


[Verse 7]
Am             G             Am         G
Listen for the shouts of the bare-faced miners,
Am                 C                   Am
Listen through the rubble for a rescue team;
C                   G        Em
Six hundred feet of coal and slag
Am      G            Am         G
Hope imprisoned in a three foot seam,
Am      G            Am         E7
Hope imprisoned in a three foot seam.


[Verse 8]
Am         G          Am         G
Eight days passed and some were rescued,
Am            C          Am
Leaving the dead to lie alone
        C         G                Em
Through all their lives they dug a grave:
    Am       G           Am      G
Two miles of earth for a marking stone,
    Am       G           Am      E7
Two miles of earth for a marking stone.



# Submitted to the ftp.nevada.edu:/pub/guitar archives
# by Steve Putz
# 7 September 1992