Springhill Disaster

In the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia
Down in the dark of the Cumberland mines
There’s blood on the coal and the miners lie
In roads that never saw sun or sky
Roads that never saw sun or sky

In the town of Springhill you don’t sleep easy
Often the earth will tremble and roll
When the earth is restless, miners die
Bone and blood is the price of coal
Bone and blood is the price of coal

In the town of Springhill, Nova Scotia
Late in the year of ’58
The day still comes and the sun still shines
But it’s dark as the grave in the Cumberland mines
Dark as the grave in the Cumberland mines

Three days passed when the lands gave out
And Caleb Rushton got up and said:
We’ve no more water or light or bread
So we’ll live on songs and hope instead
We’ll live on songs and hope instead

Listen for the shouts of the black-faced miners
Listen through the rubble for the rescue team
Three hundred tons of coal and slack
Hope imprisoned in the three foot seam
Hope imprisoned in the three foot seam

Twelve days passed and some were rescued
Leaving the dead to lie alone
Through all their days, they dug a grave
Two miles of earth is a marking stone
Two miles of earth is a marking stone