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Going To The Mine

from Think Positive! by The Whisky Priests

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Comes in a jewel case with an attractive 16-page booklet including lyrics to all songs, a selection of individual photographs of each contemporary band member who played on these sessions, recording details and additional credits, etc.

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    Includes unlimited streaming of Think Positive! via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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about

Written by Johnny Handle of 'The High Level Ranters', a great North-East of England folk group, hugely popular and renowned in the 60's & 70's and still going to this day.

This track had long been considered as a strong candidate for Whisky Priests cover version treatment. At one time it was almost recorded for 'The Power And The Glory' with a full colliery brass band backing but for one reason or another this idea was dropped and the song was subsequently left by the wayside. It seemed destined to remain this way until, at an early rehearsal session for the album, 'Part-Time Priest' Chuck suggested it would be the ideal song for The Whisky Priests to try and asked us if we knew the song, oblivious to the fact that we'd previously considered it anyway. We had long given up the idea of recording other people's songs for our own albums but it seemed that fate was now playing a hand. We tried the song live on our 1997 'Back To Bedlam!' Tour to great success, by which time we'd all agreed we should try recording it for the new album.
It features Cozy playing a fire extinguisher for atmospheric effect, at the inspired suggestion of studio engineer Nick, an idea borrowed from the great XTC song 'Towers of London'.

'Going To The Mine' is basically about someone trudging to their place of work, wishing they were somewhere else, so anyone who is stuck in a boring 9-5 job should be able to relate to this song.

Incidentally, Chuck played fiddle on the original version of 'Going To The Mine', which appeared on Johnny Handle's 1989 solo album 'Handle With Care'.

(Taken from The Whisky Priests April 1998 Newsletter)

lyrics

GOING TO THE MINE

Into the smoky morning
And I'm trudging down the line
Past the dirty tanky engine
Going to the mine

Rows of pit folks' houses
Like regiments in time
Taste the gritty daylight
When you're going to the mine

Whistle of the buzzer
Time to rise and shine
How I long for Sunday
When I'm going to the mine

Falling snow around us
Turning into grime
Down the coaly track-way
When you're going to the mine

Flying birds and freedom
But I must serve me time
One day I'll be flying too
From going to the mine

Falling down the shaft
And I'm leaving the sun behind
Born to be a human mole
Going to the mine

Into the smoky morning
And I'm trudging down the line
Past the dirty tanky engine
Going to the mine

(Johnny Handle)

Copyright © Johnny Handle

credits

from Think Positive!, released May 1, 1998
Gary Miller - vocals, acoustic guitar
Glenn Miller - accordion
Hugh Bradley - mandola, backing vocals
Andy Tong - bass guitar, backing vocals
Cozy Dixon - drums, percussion
Chuck Fleming - fiddle

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all rights reserved

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about

Gary Miller Durham, UK

Gary Miller first rose to international prominence with folk-punk/rock pioneers The Whisky Priests (1985-2002), founded with his twin brother Glenn - “the Joe Strummer and Mick Jones of Folk Music". He now performs as a solo artist and with his new band 'Gary Miller's Big Picture' whose debut album is coming soon. ... more

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