A Working Man

It's a working man I am,

And I've been down underground,

And I swear to God if I ever see the sun,

Or for any length of time

I can hold it in my mind,

I never again will go down underground

At the age of sixteen years,

He quarreled with his peers,

And he swore he'll never be another one,

In the dark recess of the mine

Where you age before your time

And the coal dust lies heavy on your lungs

At the age of sixty-four,

He'll greet you at the door,

And he'll gently lead you by the hand,

Through the dark recess of the mine,

He'll take you back in time,

And he'll tell you of the hardships that he had.

T & M: Rita MacNeil