At fourteen years old, he went down the mine br Like his Dad before him, it was his time br He was issued, with a hat and a lamp br Way below ground its hot and its damp br br Drilling the coal face eight hours a day br Coming home black, with a pittance of pay br Muscles aching from squatting so low br Following the coal seam a mile below br br A billy of tea, bread an some cheese br Coal dust in lungs it makes a man sneeze br Old miners cough blood, there lungs are shot br More tea here son, I'll empty the pot br br I look at these men, a life underground br The drill and the shovels, are the only sound br I looked in there eyes, through a Davy lamps gleam br A cage dead canary has made a man scream br br Coal gas has entered through a crack in the wall br All it needs is a spark, that's the end of us all br The shafts ventilated, there's no need to fear br We'll be o.k.