A Memorial for Miners..."Coal Tattoo" by Billy Ed Wheeler

[mcscajun]

Travelin' down that coaltown road,
Listen to those rubber tires whine;
Goodbye to Buckeye and White Sycamore,
I'm leavin' you behind.
I've been a coal man all my life
Layin' down track in the hole,
Got a back like an ironwood bent by the wind
Blood veins blue as the coal.

Somebody said "That's a strange tattoo
You have on the side of your head."
I said "That's a blue print, left by the coal
Just a little more and I'd be dead"
And I love the rumble and I love the dark
I love the cool of the slate.
But it's on down the new road lookin' for a job
It's the travelin' and lookin' I hate.

I've stood for the union, walkin' the line,
Fought against the company;
Stood for the U. M. W. of A.
Now who's gonna stand for me?
I got no house and I got no pay,
Just got a worried soul;
And this blue tattoo on the side of my head
Left by the number nine coal.

Someday when I'm dead and gone
To Heaven, the land of my dreams,
I won't have to worry on losin' my job
To bad times 'n big machines.
I ain't gonna pay my money away
For pensions and hospital plans.
I'm gonna pick coal where the blue heavens roll
And sing with the angel bands.

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Miners are frequently struck by falling or flying coal. Some of the coal particles might penetrate the skin and be fixed there by the healing. This mark left by the coal looks like a tattoo. The accident that caused his colored scar was a close call that almost killed him.

UMW - United Mine Workers of America, the union of the coal miners.

Notes and lyrics from:
http://www.schlatter.org/coal_tattoo.htm

(The XM station 15 "The Village" is doing a selection of coal mining songs at this hour; "Coal Tattoo" was performed by the Kingston Trio.)

[alfredo]

1. had a friend with a blue tattoo on both sides of his face. He was working

a seam while lying down on his side. A bit of the roof collapsed on his head trapping him. He had to work his head, to wiggle it out. His helmet was lodged in there, protecting his skull from being crushed. He was able to free his head, but to his dying day, he had coal embedded under his skin on his temples and cheek bones.

[TomInTib]

2. I have played that song since I was a kid.

A great guitar song (Dminor progression) and a tale worth telling.

And thanks for adding credits.