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The Aberfan Coal Tip Tragedy

Tom Parrott
Popularity ยท Low
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง English ยท Original

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The mining men of Wales are hardy, strong and bold And they tunnel in the earth and make it yield its coal But in the town of Aberfan, it's dearer now than gold For one generation, for the profit, has been sold How many died in Aberfan when the coal tip came rumbling down? How many children will never grow old? And how many lives purchased how many tons of coal? The little school of Pantglas lay where the mountain loomed And some 200 children took their lessons in its rooms But on the dayfall recess was to begin, they went to meet their doom Not knowing the green hollow would soon become their tomb How many died in Aberfan when the coal tip came rumbling down? How many children will never grow old? And how many lives purchased how many tons of coal? It was just 9 a.m. when they opened up the doors And in came the children, 200, maybe more For nobody knew what the mountain had in store The lucky ones were tardy, the others are no more How many died in Aberfan when the coal tip came rumbling down? How many children will never grow old? And how many lives purchased how many tons of coal? "I played with my big dog, I played with my cat" Signed, "Paul, October 21", there's nothing after that For the mountain came down, and everyone was trapped And now there's only cold slag where little Paul once sat How many died in Aberfan when the coal tip came rumbling down? How many children will never grow old? And how many lives purchased how many tons of coal? In 1874, the first pit shaft went down And they started piling mining waste on the slopes above the town And everybody knew that the practice was unsound But for 92 years, no better place was found How many died in Aberfan when the coal tip came rumbling down? How many children will never grow old? And how many lives purchased how many tons of coal? The children all were pretty, the children all were fine But the children went to school in the shadow of the mine And with the slag heap up above them, they were running out of time And they were buried alive by the Ministry of Mines How many died in Aberfan when the coal tip came rumbling down? How many children will never grow old? And how many lives purchased how many tons of coal?