Old Duck's Main
Lyrics
We are the working lads
Of Old Duck’s Main
We’ve bored holes and lined the walls
In sunshine and in rain
Some of us are barely men
And some are barely sane
But all of us are working lads
At Old Duck’s Main
Fill the bucket with black diamonds
Then winch the load away
Lower them into tubs
And send them down the waggonway
Later in the pub
You can drink away the pain
Then it’s back again next morning
To Old Duck’s Main
Through Chilton Moor and then Dubmire
On flimsy wooden rails
Through Sedgeletch to Newbottle
And finally to the staithes
To be loaded on a keel
At New Lambton by the Wear
Then on towards the coast
Where a collier ship draws near
Fill the bucket with black diamonds
Then winch the load away
Lower them into tubs
And send them down the waggonway
Later in the pub
You can drink away the pain
Then it’s back again next morning
To Old Duck’s Main
Johnny leads the horses
But he’s lost his mind they say
For he swears he met the Devil
Just the other day
He fought him and he beat him
But the Devil’s here to stay
For the Devil’s in the bottle
Johnny clings to every day
Fill the bucket with black diamonds
Then winch the load away
Lower them into tubs
And send them down the waggonway
Later in the pub
You can drink away the pain
Then it’s back again next morning
To Old Duck’s Main
While up at Rainton Hall
Sits our employer Sir John Duck
You’ll never see him swing a pick
Or down amongst the muck
He’s got other pits at Pittington
At Moorsely and Moorhouse
He’s been one lucky bastard
But who are we to grouse
Fill the bucket with black diamonds
Then winch the load away
Lower them into tubs
And send them down the waggonway
Later in the pub
You can drink away the pain
Then it’s back again next morning
To Old Duck’s Main
(Gary Miller)
© 2019 Whippet Records
Copyright Control MCPS/PRS
Notes
This song was commissioned and specially-written for the upcoming project 'The Butcher Baronet', in collaboration with Lone Pine Pictures, about the 17th Century Durham City historical figure John Duck.
Other songs and tunes from this project include : -
'Elementary (Turn Turn Again)'
'Golden Journey: Through Air / Over Water / To Earth / On Fire'
'John's Jacobus (Inscription)'
'Merrily Danced The Butcher's Wife'
'Rolling on (A Hymn for John and Ann)'