Henry's Songbook

Farewell Durham, Yorkshire too
Nottingham, the same to you
Scotland, South Wales bid adieu
Farewell Johnny Miner

Johnny Miner, you were born
Never to see the rising dawn
Now it's time that you were gone
Farewell Johnny Miner

You're greeted with the sliding scale
Lungs turned black and faces pale
Now your body's up for sale
Farewell Johnny Miner

They promised you the earth some time
To get the coal from stinking mines
Now the justice for their crimes
Is, Farewell Johnny Miner

Cheer up John, don't take it hard
Unemployment isn't bad
They'll greet you well in the knacker's yard
Farewell Johnny Miner

(as sung by Dick Gaughan)

[1989:] Written a few years ago by Ed Pickford from Wearside. In the light of what Mrs. T.'s [Thatcher's] grim reaper, Iain MacGregor, has done to the mining industry, and the individuals and communities involved, the prophesy is unfortunately nearly complete, certainly as far as Scotland is concerned. (Robin Morton, notes Battlefield Band, 'Home Ground')

[1997:] [...] the trade of knacker, a person who bought worn-out or diseased animals for slaughter, hence knacker's yard as a expression for the ultimate resting place of anything worn out [...] (World Wide Words, Michael B Quinion, http://www.quinion.com/words/)