Labour & Pop Culture: New York Mining Disaster 1941

This week’s installment of Labour & Pop Culture is the BeeGee’s “New York Mining Disaster 1941”. This song seemed appropriate in light of this week’s OHS report on the 2007 death of two Chinese workers near Fort McMurray

The song was inspired by the 1966 Aberfan disaster, when 40,000 cubic meters of mining slag slid down a hill and buried a Welsh village and school more than 10 metres deep. Despite rescue work by miners, 144 people died, including five teachers and 116 children between the ages of 7 and 10.

The song records the last moments of two miners, trapped after a cave in. The original recording has some interesting musical features. The lyrics slow as the song goes on, evoking a sense of dying. There is a violin response in the second chorus to the miner straining his ears to hear a sound. And the drums get louder in the second verse as the miners fear their talking will cause a landslide.



In the event of something happening to me
there is something I would like you all to see
It's just a photograph of someone that I knew

Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
Do you know what it's like on the outside?
Don't go talking too loud, you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones

I keep straining my ears to hear a sound
Maybe someone is digging underground
or have they given up and all gone home to bed
thinking those who once existed must be dead

Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
Do you know what it's like on the outside?
Don't go talking too loud, you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones

In the event of something happening to me
there is something I would like you all to see
It's just a photograph of someone that I knew

Have you seen my wife, Mr. Jones?
Do you know what it's like on the outside?
Don't go talking too loud, you'll cause a landslide, Mr. Jones

-- Bob Barnetson