West Virginia Mining Disaster (Jean Ritchie) Say, did you see him walking? it was early this morning He passed by your house on his way to the coal He was tall, he was slender, and his blue eyes so tender His occupation was miner, West Virginia his home It was just about noon, I was feeding the children Ben Moseley come running for to give us the news Number eight is all flooded, many men are in danger And we don't know their number, but we fear they're all doomed So I picked up the baby and I left all the others For to comfort each other and pray for our own There's Timmy, fourteen, and there's John not much younger Soon their own time will be coming to go down the black hole Now if I had the money to do more than just feed them I'd give them good learning, the best could be found And when they grew up they'd be checkers and weighers And not spend their life drilling in the dark underground And it's what will I tell to my three little children? And what will I tell his dear mother at home? And it's what will I tell to my poor heart that's dying? My heart that's surely dying since my darling is gone Say, did you see him walking? it was early this morning He passed by your house on his way to the coal He was tall, he was slender, and his blue eyes so tender His occupation was miner, West Virginia his home Copyright Jean Ritchie MC
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