Jean Ritchie - West Virginia Mine Disaster lyrics

[Verse 1] Oh say did you see him, it was early this morning He pa**ed all your houses on his way to the coal He was tall, he was slender, and his dark eyes so tender His occupation was mining, West Virginia his home [Verse 2] It was just before twelve, I was feeding the children Ben Mosley came running to bring 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 [Verse 3] So I picked up the baby and I left all the others To comfort each other and to pray for their own There's Tommy, fourteen, and there's John not much younger Their own time soon will be coming to go down the black hole [Verse 4] And what will I say to his poor little children And what will I tell his dear mother at home And what will I say to my heart that's clear broken To my heart that's clear broken if my baby is gone [Instrumental break] [Verse 5] Now if I had the money to do more than just feed them I'd give them good learning, the best could be found So when they growed up they'd be checkers and weighers And not spend their life digging in the dark underground [Verse 6] Say did you see him, it was early this morning He pa**ed all your houses on his way to the coal He was tall, he was slender, and his dark eyes so tender His occupation was mining, West Virginia his home