The Gresford Mining Disaster Lyrics

You've heard of the Gresford disaster, the terrible price that was paid

266 miners were lost, three men of the rescue brigade

It occurred in the month of September, three in the morning that pit

Was wracked by a violent explosion, in the Dennis where the gas lay so thick

Down in the Dennis deep section, gas heaped like snow in a drift

Many a man left the coal face before he'd worked out his shift

Two weeks before the explosion, to the shot firer Tomlinson cried

If you fire that shot we'll be blown to hell, and no one can say that he lied

The fire reports were missing, the records of 42 days

The collier manager had them destroyed to cover his criminal ways

Down in the dark they are lying, they died for nine shillings a day

They've worked out their shift and now they must lie in the dark till judgement day

The Lord Mayor of London's collecting to help our children and wives

The owner sent white lilies to pay for the collier's lives

Farewell to our wives and children, farewell to our comrades as well

If you send your sons down the dark dreary pit

They'll be condemned like the sinners in hell

You can close our pit

But you can't close our soul

The love we found was just like gold

It lasts forever in our children's eyes

When they speak the truth will arise

You can close our pit but you can't close our soul

The love we found was just like gold

It lasts forever in our children's eyes

When they speak the truth will arise

Arise

Arise

Arise