Blood on the Coal

It was April 27th in the year of '91
About a mile below the surface
And the warm Kentucky sun
The late shift was ending
And the early shift was late
And the foreman ate his dinner
From a dirty tin plate

Blood on the tracks
Blood in the mine
Brothers and sisters
What a terrible time
Old 97 went in the wrong hole
Now in mine number 60
There's blood on the coal

Well, the slag pits were steamin'
It was 7:25
Every miner worked the coal face
Every one of them alive
The train came 'round the corner
You could the trestle groan
But the switcher wasn't listenin'
So he left the switch alone

Blood on the tracks
Blood in the mine
Brothers and sisters
What a terrible time
Old 97 went in the wrong hole
Now in mine number 60
There's blood on the coal

Well, the walls began to tremble
And the men began to yell
They could hear that lonesome whistle
Like an echo out of...well
They dropped their picks and shovels
As to safety they did run
For to stay among the living
In the year of '91

Blood on the tracks
Blood in the mine
Brothers and sisters
What a terrible time
Old 97 went in the wrong hole
Now in mine number 60
There's blood on the coal

Now, an Irishman named Murphy said
"I'll stop that iron horse"
And he stood to thwart its passage
And it crushed him dead of course
And I hope he hears the irony
When e'er this tale is told
That the train that took his life
Was burning good Kentucky coal

Blood on the tracks
Blood in the mine
Brothers and sisters
What a terrible time
Old 97 got in the wrong hole
Now in mine number 60
There's blood on the coal