Tuning: E A D G B E

Traditional, from Northumberland (north-eastern England). There have been many miners' strikes over the years, and it's unclear which one this dates from - perhaps from the strikes of 1844, which collapsed after 20 weeks thanks to strike-breaking (blackleg) miners. It enjoyed a revival thanks to the miners' strikes of the 1980s under Margaret Thatcher's government. Various artists have recorded this; this version is from the oral tradition of Forest School Camps.

It's ^Dmin the evening, ^Cafter dark The ^Dmblackleg miner g^Amangs ta wark In his ^Dmmoleskin pants and ^Cdirty shirt There ^Dmgoes the ^Cblackleg ^Dmminer

He ^Dmtakes his pick and ^Cdown he goes To ^Dmhew the coal that ^Amlies below There's ^Dmnot a woman in ^Cthis town row Would ^Dmlook at a ^Cblackleg ^Dmminer

For ^DmDeleval is a ^Cterrible place They ^Dmrub wet clay in a ^Amblackleg's face A^Dmround the pits they ^Crun a foot race To ^Dmcatch the ^Cblackleg ^Dmminer

And ^Dmdon't go near the ^CSeghill mine A^Dmcross the top they've ^Amstretched a line To ^Dmcatch the throat and ^Cbreak the spine Of the ^Dmdirty ^Cblackleg ^Dmminer

Well they ^Dmtake his pick and ^Cduds as well And they ^Dmhurl them down the ^Ampit of Hell So ^Dmoff you go and ^Cfare thee well You ^Dmdirty ^Cblackleg ^Dmminer

So ^Dmjoin the union ^Cwhile you may Don't ^Dmwait till your ^Amdying day For ^Dmthat may not be ^Cfar away You ^Dmdirty ^Cblackleg ^Dmminer

Misc Traditional - Blackleg miner