Union Songs

The Young Redundant Miner

A Song by Dave Douglass©Dave Douglass 2010
(Tune California)

And its goodbye Jeffery Ainley
You can no longer detain me
and the union won't persuade me to work here anymore
I've had me fill of striking,
fighting and excitement
I'm finally delighted
to give up this bloody war

Chorus
So tek your job and stuff it
Take your pit and shut it
I never liked the bastard
and I hate the bugger now
The job is not worth having
when you cannot earn a living
So goodbye Jeffery Ainley
and your bliddy stinking mine

Its goodbye to that pit head
That nearly had me stone dead
from cutter blades and rock falls and explosions in the mine
No more those early mornings
and me face split wide with yawnings
no more those bloody night shifts
that scramble me insides.

Oh, the truth is Jeffrey Ainley
you have finally convinced me
that this mining game is over
so I'm off tomorrow morn
Just give me my Redundie
I'll have a lift of Sundays
I can protest in the sunshine
and sleep me days away.

I've worked me shift while laid flat
when the rock falls filled the chock track
When the top was hold and broken
and the rocks were flushing in
But to do so without wages
is entirely outrageous
Get me cards out Ainley Coz I'm bliddy jacking in

Oh goodbye to the brass band
and pack me up me wigwam
me caftan and me headband
It's the open road for me
I'll become a hippy biker
In the fresh air at me leisure
I'll have a life of please
and I'll never graft again

Notes

Many thanks to Dave Douglass for permission to add this song to the Union Songs collection.

In his book Ghost Dancers Dave writes:
'I was inspired to write this song based upon the Hatfield management, but actually about young 'Beetham's' miners from Markham and Brodsworth, who given the situation choose to become 'heavy rock' miners rather than continue as hard rock miners.'

Find more Dave Douglass songs on this site.

Visit Dave's website at http://www.minersadvice.co.uk/

union songs..........a selection by mark gregory