From the recording Gold and Coal
"The Big Hewer," crafted by folk legends Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger for their 1961 BBC Radio-Ballad program of the same name, stands as an anthem of resilience.
Its evocative lyrics and haunting melody vividly depict the physical hardships and unwavering solidarity of mining life, bolstered by its steady rhythmic backbone.
The Big Hewer emerges as a towering, superhuman figure, born from the depths of the earth and destined to return. It resonates with themes of dignity and steadfast resilience in adversity, serving as a poignant testament to the indomitable human spirit.
Music and Lyrics by :
Ewan MacColl
Peggy Seeger
Arranged by:
Cassie Anne MacDonald SOCAN
Maggie Jane MacDonald SOCAN
Lyrics
Out of the dirt and the darkness I was born, go down!
Out of the hard, black coal-face I was torn, go down!
Kicked on the world and the earth split open,
Crawled through a crack where the rock was broken,
Burrowed a hole away in the coal, go down!
In a cradle of coal in the darkness I was laid, go down!
Down in the dirt and the darkness I was raised, go down!
Cut my teeth on a five foot timber,
Held up the roof with my little finger,
Started me time away in the mine, go down!
On the day that I was born, I was six foot tall, go down!
The very next day I learned the way to haul, go down!
The third day worked at board-and-pillar,
Worked on the fourth as a long-wall filler,
Getting me steam up, hewing the seam, go down!
I’m the son of a son of a son of a collier’s son, go down!
Coal dust flows in the veins where the blood should run, go down!
Five steel ribs and an iron backbone,
Teeth that can bite through rock and blackstone,
Working me time away in the mine, go down!
I’ve scrabbled and picked at the face where the roof was low, go down!
Crawled in seams where only a mole could go, go down!
In the thin-cut seams I’ve ripped and redded
Even the rats are born bowlegged,
Winning the coal, away in the hole, go down!
Out of the dirt and the darkness I was born, go down!
Out of the hard, black coal-face I was torn, go down!
Kicked on the world and the earth split open,
Crawled through a crack where the rock was broken,
Burrowed a hole away in the coal, go down!