Chords with lyrics
Traditional, from Northumberland (north-eastern England).
There have been many miners' strikes over the years,
and it's unclear which one this dates from - perhaps from the strikes of 1844,
which collapsed after 20 weeks thanks to strike-breaking (blackleg) miners.
It enjoyed a revival thanks to the miners' strikes of the 1980s
under Margaret Thatcher's government.
Various artists have recorded this; this version is from the oral tradition
of Forest School Camps.
DmDm C majorC
It's in the evening, after dark
DmDm A minorAm
The blackleg miner gangs ta wark
DmDm C majorC
In his moleskin pants and dirty shirt
DmDm C majorC DmDm
There goes the blackleg miner
DmDm C majorC
He takes his pick and down he goes
DmDm A minorAm
To hew the coal that lies below
DmDm C majorC
There's not a woman in this town row
DmDm C majorC DmDm
Would look at a blackleg miner
DmDm C majorC
For Deleval is a terrible place
DmDm A minorAm
They rub wet clay in a blackleg's face
DmDm C majorC
Around the pits they run a foot race
DmDm C majorC DmDm
To catch the blackleg miner
DmDm C majorC
And don't go near the Seghill mine
DmDm A minorAm
Across the top they've stretched a line
DmDm C majorC
To catch the throat and break the spine
DmDm C majorC DmDm
Of the dirty blackleg miner
DmDm C majorC
Well they take his pick and duds as well
DmDm A minorAm
And they hurl them down the pit of Hell
DmDm C majorC
So off you go and fare thee well
DmDm C majorC DmDm
You dirty blackleg miner
DmDm C majorC
So join the union while you may
DmDm A minorAm
Don't wait till your dying day
DmDm C majorC
For that may not be far away
DmDm C majorC DmDm