The Colliery
Original Lyrics
Revised Lyrics
The pit where I worked was built in Eighteen-Ten
And it's claimed the lives of many good men
Like rats in a hole we crawled underground
Digging for coal at the colliery
I had long shifts to put in every day
And I worked like a slave for a poor man's pay
We hated our boss because he worked us hard
For a pittance to keep our families
And the curse of God was on our lives
Though we prayed to Him for better times
We learned to cry and we learned to die
Down at the colliery
I had a wife and six bairns to feed
We paid the price of a rich man's greed
I sweated and toiled in that unholy black hell
Feeding the fires of Britain's industry
And we found no joy in our toil
As our lungs filled with dust and soot and soil
We laughed and cried, we prayed and died
Down at the colliery
Both servants and masters shared the land
They abused our humanity but they used our hands
And they would steal our brains to destroy our souls
But we were put on God's earth to go below it for coal
This land was built by men of steel
But the fires are now dying in its industries
The machines have rusted and the pit stands dead
The men lie idle no more prayers are said
And the curse of God was on our lives
Though we prayed to Him for better times
We learned to cry and we learned to die
Down at the colliery
(Gary Miller)
© 1987 Whippet Records
Copyright Control MCPS/PRS
The pit where I worked was built in Eighteen-Ten
And it's claimed the lives of many good men
Like rats in a hole we crawled underground
Digging for coal at the colliery
I had long shifts to work each day
And I worked like a slave for a poor man's pay
We hated our boss because he worked us hard
For a pittance to keep our families
And the curse of God was on our lives
Though we prayed to Him for better times
We learned to cry and we learned to die
Down at the colliery
I had a wife and six bairns to feed
We paid the price of rich men's greed
I sweated and toiled in that unholy black hell
Feeding the fires of Britain's industry
And we searched for joy in our toil
As our lungs filled with dust and soot and soil
We laughed and cried, we prayed and died
Down at the colliery
We were servants to masters of the land
They abused our humanity but they used our hands
They could own our lives but not our souls
For we were put on God's earth to go below it for coal
This land was built by men of steel
This land once scarred has now been healed
The pits have gone, time has moved on
From the days when men toiled where the sun never shone
And the curse of God was on our lives
Though we prayed to Him for better times
We learned to cry and we learned to die
Down at the colliery
(Gary Miller)
© 2005 Whippet Records
Copyright Control MCPS/PRS
Releases (on Whippet Records unless otherwise stated)
Video Clips
The Whisky Priests performing 'The Colliery'
live at Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, Germany, on 3rd November 2018.
live at Monkeys Music Club, Hamburg, Germany, on 3rd November 2018.
The Whisky Priests performing 'The Colliery'
live at 't Beest, Goes, the Netherlands, on 26th October 2018.
live at 't Beest, Goes, the Netherlands, on 26th October 2018.
The Whisky Priests performing 'The Colliery'
live at the Forum Music Centre, Darlington, England, on 13th October 2018.
live at the Forum Music Centre, Darlington, England, on 13th October 2018.
Gary Miller & Ralf Weihrauch performing 'The Colliery'
live at Mata Hari, Stuttgart, on 23rd October 2005.
live at Mata Hari, Stuttgart, on 23rd October 2005.
The Whisky Priests performing 'The Colliery'
live at Kalaka Folk Festival, Miscolc, Hungary, on 12th July 1992.
live at Kalaka Folk Festival, Miscolc, Hungary, on 12th July 1992.