West Virginia Mine Disaster

Oh say did you see him
It was early this morning
He passed 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

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

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

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

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

Say did you see him
It was early this morning
He passed 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