Canadian Journal for Traditional Music (1984)
Towards a Collection of Coal-Mining Songs in Canada
My interest in songs of Canada's coal mining industry began in 1966 when I was asked to conduct the newly formed Cape Breton coal-miners' choir now known as The Men of the Deeps.' Although I began to compile my collection at that time, my search for Canadian coal-mining songs was interrupted for a few years while I pursued further graduate studies. My journey towards a collection of coal-mining songs in Canada began in earnest around 1973.
The following list is selective and does not pretend to include all songs relating to the coal-mining industry in Canada. It contains no songs in French or Gaelic, for example, although I know of several coal-mining songs in both languages and plan to expand that aspect of my collection in a future publication. Because I have excluded French mining songs from this list, I have not included any by le chanteur-minuer du Québec, Real Benoit,2 albeit any serious publication of coal-mining songs in Canada undoubtedly will include some of his compositions.
I have deliberately chosen to exclude many fine songs which relate specifically to other forms of mining (e.g., gold, hard rock, or cobalt), while I have included a number which refer only casually to coal mining or coal miners. The list also includes some songs which can be identified with more than one type of mining.
With the exception of the final category, all songs in the collection were composed by or contributed by Canadian song writers, singers, or collectors.
The Sources
I am indebted to established folksong collectors like Helen Creighton and Neil Rosenberg, and to singer/collectors like Ronnie MacEachern for their contributions to this collection.
A few of the songs have been chosen from published collections. When I began my search for coal-mining songs (in an effort to obtain singing material for The Men of the Deeps), I was delighted to discover some Canadian songs in two of George Korson's famous books.3 Over the years I have arranged several songs for The Men of the Deeps from other published sources; all songs which have become a part of the choir's repertoire have been included.4
Initially, I was aided in my search by the Miners' Folk Society of Cape Breton which organized a song-finding contest in conjunction with the erection of the original Glace Bay Miners' Museum.5 Although only seven of the songs were awarded prizes, many of the non-winning entries provided additional material for my collection. Dr. Helen Creighton was one of the judges in that contest; she has provided me with numerous songs, not all of which appear in her books, and her constant advice has led me to discover other primary and secondary sources.
Radio station CJCB in Sydney conducted its own song contests in the 1950s and 1960s and, although the quality of many of these songs is not as good as those resulting from the Miners' Folk Society contest, some have found their way into my collection.
As a result of concertizing with The Men of the Deeps throughout many parts of Canada, I have acquired a variety of songs from the general public. Tapes or written manuscripts are often handed to me or to members of the group. Occasionally, a member of the choir will compose a song. Songs in the following list which name The Men of the Deeps as their source came in this way.
The Categories
In any classification of this nature the choice of categories is arbitrary. Some songs in the list that follows meet the criteria of more than one category. For example, most songs about mine disasters or tragedies could also be classified as HISTORICAL, as can some of those which I have catalogued under the heading UNIONS, UNIONLEADERS, AND STRIKE SONGS. Songs have been listed in categories which best describe their ultimate message.
The largest of the categories, MINE TRAGEDIES AND RESCUE OPERATIONS, is dominated by accounts of the three major disasters which occurred at Spninghill, N.S., in 1891, 1956, and 1958 respectively. Perhaps because of the very extensive media coverage, the tragedies of the 1950s generated more songs than any other mine disaster in Canadian history. On the other hand, the most tragic disaster in Cape Breton, the New Waterford explosion of 1917 which killed 65 miners, has to date contributed only two songs. "New Waterford's Fatal Day," which appears here in two separate versions, gives a detailed account of the happenings on that July day. A second song about this event, "The Omen," is listed under the category SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA.
The most recent mine tragedy in Nova Scotia happened in No. 26 Colliery, Glace Bay, in 1979. Again, because of extensive media coverage the tragic event has inspired several songs. I have included three which recall that event: "The Miner's Song (Ten Men Died), "No. 26 Mine Disaster," and "The 24th in 26."
With the exception of "The Boys of the Rescue Crew," which pays tribute to those who risk their lives to save others, all the remaining songs in this category speak in general terms about the ever-present danger of tragedy in the mine, or they are personal recollections of accidents which claimed one or two lives.
Miners have a special sense of humour, and I'm always impressed at their ability to make light of some of the most serious of situations. In addition to the expected profusion of songs related to alcohol (Allister MacGillivray's "Cape Breton Silver," five versions of the well-known "Government Store," three separate accounts of "Percy Morris," as well as "I Went to Norman's" and "When I First Went to Caledonia" — two unique versions of one song), the category HUMOROUS SONGS lists several entries that grew out of some of the hardest times Cape Breton has ever known: the devastating strikes of the 1920s. The three songs on the "bootleg" coal theme and Ne Campbell's "Plain 01' Miner Boy" are but a few examples.
Songs of protest have long been associated with miners and are undoubtedly the most ebullient of all those inspired by the mining industry. A few of the most rousing are included under UNIONS, UNION LEADERS, AND STRIKE SONGS, along with less militant songs which honour union heroes like J.B. McLachlan. The song "Remember the Miner" is a tribute to William Davis, the Cape Breton miner who was gunned down by government troops during the 1925 strike.
The categories NON-UNION MINERS and THE COMPANY STORE could very well be considered sub-headings of UNIONS, UNION LEADERS, AND STRIKE SONGS. "The Honest Working Man," once described as the national anthem of Cape Breton,6 is hardly known today. "Kelly's Cove" and "The Yahie Miners," like "The Honest Working Man," are songs which protest the importation of seasonal labour. "The Pluck Me Store" is a nostalgic look at the company stores in Cape Breton which, in frustration, were burned down during the strikes of the 1920s.
If miners are known for their humour and their readiness to jump on the "protest wagon," they are also known for their faith; and although the category SACRED SONGS lists only six entries, the miner's belief in a better life after death is evident in songs throughout the list.
Although the categories SUPERNATURAL PHENOMENA and CHILD LABOUR contain few entries at this point, I am confident that my search will eventually reveal more songs about these intriguing subjects.
The category HISTORICAL SONGS also contains relatively few entries; however, as previously pointed out, other categories also contain songs of historical interest.
Songs which are classified under MINERS AT WORK all offer some description of work underground or give some insight into the daily routine of a miner's life.
The final heading, GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS SONGS, is a catch-all category. Many of these songs may be reclassified at a later date. Among others, this section contains songs lamenting hard times or the miner's lot in life ("Come sit Down Here Beside Me, John," "The Miner's Lament," "Hard-Working Miner Man"), personal histories ("George Alfred Beckett," "I Work In The Pit") and songs in praise of the miner ("The Man With A Torch In His Cap").
Nearly all the songs have tunes associated with them. About 10 percent of these are what might be classified as folk parody7 while upwards of 40 percent are sung to traditional tunes. Approximately 42 percent of the tunes have been composed by contemporary songwriters, most of whom are from the island of Cape Breton. Composers such as Allister MacGillivray, Charlie MacKinnon, and Lillian Crewe Walsh have been steeped in Cape Breton tradition from their earliest years. I believe that much of their music and poetry reflects the spirit of Cape Breton's mining communities in the same way that oral tradition molds the spirit of a people. For this reason, I am proud to include their works in this collection.
I have tried to create a general impression of my collection of coal mining songs in Canada thus far. It is my hope to publish many of the following songs in a book which will offer informative notes on all entries. The list is necessarily heavily weighted with Cape Breton songs. I welcome suggestions and new entries which will make it more representative of Canada as a whole.
Abbreviations Used in the Following List of Songs:
B.P. L.P. Recording, Rita MacNeil. Big Pond, Cape Breton: Big Pond Productions, 1984.
C.A.Y. McCawley, Stuart, Cape Breton Songster. Glace Bay, N.S.: Brodie Printing, 1929.
C.B.S. MacDonald, Alphonse. Cape Breton Songster. (Sydney, N.S.: n.p.), 1935.
C.C.B. Walsh, Lillian Crewe. Calling Cape Breton. (n.p.).
C.D.F. Korson, George, Coal Dust On The Fiddle. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates, 1965.
C.J.C.B. Radio Station CJCB, Sydney, Nova Scotia.
M.F.S. Miners' Folk Society Centennial Year Song Contest
M.M.M. Gray, F.W. Musings of a Maritime Miner. Sydney, N.S.: np., 1940.
M.M.P. Korson, George. Minstrels of the Mine Patch. Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates, 1964.
N.E.B. Joseph, N., and Winter, E. New English Broadsides. London: Sing Productions, 1967.
P.K. Palmer, Roy. Poverty Knock. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1974.
Rr. L.P. Recording, Come All You Coal Miners. Sommerville, MA: Rounder Record No.4005.
R.O.M. Chicanot, E.L. Rhymes of the Miner. Gardenvale, P.Q.: Federal Publications, 1937.
S.H. MacDonald, Dick. Singing Headlines. Montreal: n.p., 1967.
S.M. MacGillivray, Allister. Song for the Mira. Sydney, N.S.: New Dawn Enterprises, 1979.
S.W.P. Fowke, Edith, and Glazer, Joe. Songs of Work and Protest. New York: Dover, 1973.
S.S. Supplement to the newspaper IN STRUGGLE, Sing of Our Struggles, Sing of Revolution. Montreal: April 1978.
U.M.W.J. United Mine Workers Journal.
List OF Songs
Title Historical Songs
Caledonia Cape Breton Coal
*Cape Breton Coal Miners, The
*Coal By The Sea, The
*Coal Is King Again End of An Industry, The Farewell to Caledonia
*Little Pinkie Engine Mining Coal
*No. 26, One Million Ton Nordegg Ballad, The
Composer (c) Collector (cI)
Singer/Contributor (s/c)
F. Crewe & L.C. Walsh (c)
Marie MacMillan (c)
Ray Holland (c)
Gerard MacNeil (c)
Ray Holland (c)
Anne Whyte (cl)
Hattie Bateman (c)
Ida MacAuley (S/C)
anonymous
Ray Holland (c)
Al Owchar (c)
M.F.S.
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
M.F.S.
M.F.S.
C.J.C.B.
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
MINERS AT WORK
Black Is the Coal Dust Cape Breton Coal Will Always
Be Here
*Cape Breton Miner Man Chain Runner song
* Coal Town Road Down Deep In the Mine In The Pit Long Wall Miner, The Men Underground, The Miner, The
*Thirty Inch Coal
*Workin' Man
James Nipper Oliver (c)
J. Rodie (c)
Leon Dubinsky (c)
Edward Penney (s/c)
Allister MacGillivray (c)
Marie MacMillan (c)
Leon Dubinsky (c)
Rick French (cl)
anonymous
Donna Troichuk (c)
Mike Paxton (c)
Rita MacNeil (c)
R. MacEachern
Men of the Deeps
L. Dubinsky
R. MacEachern
S.M.
M.F.S.
L. Dubinsky
R. French
C.J.C.B.
M.F.S.
Rr.
B.P.
Unions, Union Leaders And Strike Songs
Are You From Bevan? Arise Ye Nova Scotia Slaves
*BaIlad of J.B. McLachlan, The Bowser's Seventy-Twa
Jim McLachlan Song
*Miner's Lifeguard 1925 Strike Song On Cumberland's Rugged
Mountain
*Pluck Me Store, The Step by Step United Front
Phil Thomas (cI)
Bob Stewart (s/c)
Charlie MacKinnon (c)
Fred Willis (c)
Peter Fiosnick (c)
Mrs. L, Guigliotta (s/c)
Amby Thomas (s/c)
George Scott (s/c)
Ida MacAuley (s/c)
UMWA Constitution
B. Brecht & H. Eisler (c)
Jon Bartlett
C.D.F.
R. MacEachern
Jon Bartlett
S.S.
C.D.F.
R. MacEachern
Men of the Deeps
M,F.S.
S.S.
S.S.
Non-Union Miners
Honest Working Man, The
*Kelly's Cove
Yahie Miners, The Yahie Miners, The
Stuart McCawley (ci)
Mrs. D.J. MacDonald (s/c)
Stuart McCawley (ci)
Alphonse MacDonald (cl)
C.A.Y.
M.F.S.
C.A.Y.
C.B.S.
Argo Mine, The
*Ballad of Springhill, The (1958)
Black Eyed Miner
Blood On The Coal
* Boys of the Rescue Crew, The
Cape Breton Coal
Coal Mining Days
Cumberland Mine, The (Spring-hill, 1958)
Disaster at No. 1 B
Don't Go Below
Down In Springhill's Bumpy Mine
Miner's Song, The (Ten Men Died)
Miracle at Springhill (1958)
Miracle at Springhill (1956) Miracle at Springhill (1958)
Miracle of Colliery No. 2 (1958)
My Brother's Fate New Waterford's Fatal Day New Waterford's Fatal Day
*No. 12, New Waterford
*No 26 Mine Disaster Rescue From the Springhill
Coal Mine (1956)
Springhill (1958)
Springhill 1958
Springhill Disaster (1958)
Springhill Mine Disaster (1891)
Springhill Mine Disaster (1956)
Springhill Mine Disaster (1956)
Tower City Tragedy
24th in 26, The
Frank Home (s/c)
Ewan MacColl &
P. Seeger (c)
anonymous
Don Weeks (c)
George Merrill (s/c)
Ray Holland (c)
Archie Maclnnis (s/c)
L.C. Walsh &
Ch. MacKinnon (c)
Anne Whyte (cl)
Allister MacGillivray (c)
E. Chicanot (cI)
David Woods (c)
Ronnie Prophet (c)
Roy Rudolph (s/c)
Don Miller (c)
Jack Kingston (c)
Aubrey Martell (c)
Amby Thomas (s/c)
Angus Timmons (c)
Ray Holland (c)
Allister MacGillivray (c)
Don Miller (c)
Lorraine Phillips (c)
anonymous
Maurice Ruddick (c)
Ruth Metcalfe (s/c)
Jimmy Dalton (c)
Eddie LeGere (c)
Bobby Burchell (s/c)
Joe MacPherson (c)
Helen Creighton
Neil Rosenberg
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
Neil Rosenberg
Men of the Deeps
A. MacGillivray
R.O.M.
David Woods
Neil Rosenberg
Neil Rosenberg
Neil Rosenberg
Neil Rosenberg
Men of the Deeps
R. MacEachern
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
S.M.
Neil Rosenberg
S.H.
Men of the Deeps
Neil Rosenberg
Helen Creighton
Neil Rosenberg
Neil Rosenberg
Men of the Deeps
Men of the Deeps
Humorous Songs
A Shirt Tale Bootleg Coal
*Bootlegger Me Bootleg Truckman
*Cape Breton Silver
*Drill Ye Tarriers, Drill
*Goin' Down Clean Government Store, The
*Government Store, The
Government Store, The
I Went to Norman's
Jolly Miner, The
* Jolly Wee Miner Men
* Just A Jolly Miner
Lay That Piece Can Down, Ma
New Aberdeen Government Store
New Aberdeen Government Store
Dan Boutilier (s/c)
anonymous
John McIntyre (c)
anonymous
Allister MacGillivray (c)
E. Chicanot (cI)
Leon Dubinsky (c)
Alphonse MacDonald (cI)
Capt. Cecil Jeffries (s/c)
Hugh MacLean (s/c)
Malcolm Blue (s/c)
Freeman Young (s/c)
Bob Stewart (s/c)
Eddie Nicol (c)
anonymous
Stan Deveaux (s/c) Amby Thomas (s/c)
C.D.F.
C.J.C.B.
M.F.S.
C.J.C.B.
SM.
R.O.M.
L. Dubinsky
C.B.S.
Helen Creighton
Helen Creighton
Helen Creighton
Helen Creighton
C.D.F.
Men of the Deeps
C.J.C.B.
R. MacEachern R. MacEachern
Percy Morris
Percy Morris
Percy Morris
Plain 01' Miner Boy
*plain 01' Miner Boy
When I First Went to Caledonia
When They First Came In The Pit
Alphonse MacDonald (cl)
Amby Thomas (s/c)
Evelyn Smith (s/c)
Nel Campbell (c)
Willi Odo (s/c)
Amby Thomas (s/c)
Murdock Clark (c)
C.B.S.
R. MacEachern
Men of the Deeps
R. MacEachern
C.J.C.B.
R. MacEachern
R. MacEachern
Sacred Songs
Miner's Epitaph, The
* Miners' Litany
*Miners' Memorial Hymn Miner's Prayer, The
Miner's Prayer, The
*Unknown Miner's Grave, The
James Lovelace (c)
George Porter (s/c)
H. Hichen (s/c)
Ron Hynes (c)
R. Tune (c)
Mary Olive Chiasson (c)
M.F.S.
G. Porter
Men of the Deeps
Richard Comber
Men of the Deeps
M.F.S.
Supernatural Phenomena
*Omen, The
Phantom Pan Crew, The Seven Lamps North
Marie MacMillan (c)
anonymous
Charlie McIntyre (s/c)
M.F.S.
C.J.C.B.
Men of the Deeps
Child Labour
At 14 I'm Trapping
*Billy Come With Me
Laura Donaldson (s/c) Leon Dubinsky (c)
Men of the Deeps L. Dubinsky
General &Amp; Miscellaneous Songs
Bumps, The Stuart McCawley (cI) C.D.F.
Coal Miner Under the Sea, The F.W. Gray (c) M.M.M.
Collier's March, The F.W. Gray (c) M.M.M.
Come Sit Down Here Beside R. MachEacher &
Me John J. MacLean (c) R. MacEachern
Comrades Together Joe MacPherson (c) Men of the Deeps
*Dark As A Dungeon Idris Griffeth (cl) Geoff Drake
Donald From Bras d'Or Dan Livingston (s/c) Helen Creighton
Election Song Mrs. Ruth Metcalfe (s/c) Helen Creighton
George Alfred Beckett Amby Thomas (s/c) R. MacEachern
Hard Working Miner Man R. Young (s/c) Men of the Deeps
I'm Only A Broken Down
Mucker Phil Thomas (cI) Jon Bartlett
I Work In The Pit Stan Deveaux (c) R. MacEachern
*Man With A Torch In His
Cap, The Helen C. MacDonald (c) M.F.S.
Miner, The (Harder Than Nails) Bob Shulman (c) Men of the Deeps
*Mjfler, The (With A Shovel in
His Hand) Lillian Crewe Walsh (c) C.C.B.
Miner's Alphabet Song Mrs. A.G, Hattie (s/c) Helen Creighton
*Miner's Lament Ne Campbell (c) Men of the Deeps
Safety Is Our Goal Ray Holland (c) Men of the Deeps
Some Say That I'm A Miner Ronnie MacEachern (c) R. MacEachern
We're The Boys Behind
the Guns Augustine MacDonald (s/c) Helen Creighton
When You're Done Loading
Coal Charlie MacKinnon (s/c) R. MacEachern
Canny Miner Lad, The
Coal Miner's Heaven
Coal Tattoo
Collier Lad, The
Collier's Rant, The
Dark As a Dungeon
Down Among the Coal
Down in a Coal Mine
Dust in the Air
Miner's Lifeguard
Rap 'Er to Bank
Schoolday's End
Sixteen Tons
Thirty Inch Coal
Which Side Are You On?
Ian Campbell (c)
Joe Glazer (c)
Billy Edd Wheeler (c)
Johnny Handle (s/c)
Joseph Ritson (cI)
Merle Travis (c)
Roy Palmer (cI)
J.B. Geoghagan (c)
Johnny Handle
Mrs. L. Guigliotta (s/c)
Johnny Handle (s/c)
Ewan MacColl (c)
Merle Travis (c)
Mike Paxton (c)
Florence Reece (c)
N.E.B.
U.M.W.J.
Men of the Deeps
J. Handle
J. Handle
S.W.P.
P.K.
M.M.P.
J. Handle
C.D.F.
J. Handle
J. Handle
S.W.P.
Rr.
S.S.
St. Francis-Xavier University Antigonish, N.S.
Footnotes
The Men of Deeps is a chorus of coal miners assembled from the mining communities of New Waterford and Gtace Bay, Nova Scotia. The group was organized in 1966 as an effort by the people of Cape Breton to honour Canada's Centenniat Year, t967. Its purpose was, and is, to hetp preserve in song the rich fotktore of that istand's coat-mining communities. The group has reteased three long-play recordings on the Waterloo tabet.
2. Cf. Le Compositeur Canadien/The Canadian Composer, no. 26, January 1973, pp. 5-7, 46.
3. George Korson, Minstrels of the Mine Patch (Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates, 1964 and Coal Dust on the Fiddle (Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates, 1965).
4. When The Men of the Deeps perform weekly at the Glace Bay Miners' Museum each summer, many children from the local area attend regularly, joined by thousands of tourists. I've noticed over the years that the youngsters memorize the words of many songs after only a few performances, and they often join in the singing. I like to think that in some small way The Men of the Deeps are contributing to a singing tradition amongst the people of Cape Breton's mining communities which might otherwise be lost. For this reason, I feel all the songs in the repertoire of the choir belong in any collection of Coal Mining Songs in Canada.
5. The original building which was opened in 1967 was destroyed by fire in 1979. It was rebuilt in 1980.
6. Stuart McCawley, Cape Breton Come-All-Ye (Glace Bay, N.S.: Brodie Printing, 1929), p. 10.
7. For an interesting article on this subject see Peter Narvaez, "The Folk Parodist," Canadian Folk Music Journal, 5(1977), 32-37.
Resumé: John O'Donnell, directeur d'un choeun de mineurs de charbon Men of the Deeps, fournit une liste de chansons canadiennes ayant rapport aux mines de charbon; Il les divise en categories et indique celles chantées par le choeur qu 'il dirige.
© Canadian Journal for Traditional Music