Music Playlist: Coalmining Songs
Published May 18, 2005
Dwight Yoakam, like Merle Travis also has deep Kentucky roots where coal mining was a part of life
"Ludlow Massacre" by Woody Guthrie is a true story of what happened on April 20, 1914 in Ludlow. Colorado. 20 men woman and children were murdered by the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company in an attempt to suppress the miner's joining the UMWA (United Mine Workers of America)
Harlan County, Kentucky is a large and history-rich coal mining area
"Big Bad John" by Jimmy Dean was a huge hit in the US when it was released in 1961. Not only did it top the Pop charts for 5 weeks, but it was also #1 on the Country charts for 2 weeks, and #1 Adult Contemporary for 10 weeks
Yes, this is the same Jimmy Dean who started a famous line of sausage products. He also had his own TV series in the '50s and '60s.
"Coal Miner's Blues" by The Carter Family was a real coal mining work song that the Carter Family learned from "several miners in Wise County, Virginia"
"Coal Miner's Daughter" by Loretta Lynn was turned into a big hit autobiographical movie about Loretta Lynn's life, released in 1980. Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for her role in the film.
The Playlist:
01 "Sixteen Tons" Merle Travis
02 "Coal Miner's Blues" The Carter Family
03 "Coalminers" Uncle Tupelo
04 "Dark As A Dungeon" Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
05 "Miner's Prayer" Dwight Yoakam
06 "Ludlow Massacre" Woody Guthrie
07 "Harlan Man" Steve Earle
08 "A Miner's Life" Solas
09 "Coalminer" O.A.R.
10 "Big Bad John" Jimmy Dean
11 'Coal Creek Mine" Oysterband
12 "Coal Miner's Daughter" Loretta Lynn
13 "Springhill Mining Disaster" U2
14 "Working In A Coalmine" The Judds
15 "New York Mining Disaster 1941" The Bee Gees
16 "Talking Miner Blues" Ramblin' Jack Elliot
17 I'm That Man Down In The Mine" Bill "Jazz" Gillum
18 "Dream Of The Miner's Child" Doc Watson
19 "Coal Tattoo" The Kingston Trio
20 "Scofield Mining Disaster" Perfect Strangers
21 "Mrs. Clara Sullivan's Letter" Pete Seeger
22 "Sringfiel Mt. Coalminer" The Acousticats
23 "Tell The Boys At Pittston" Tom Juravich
24 "Company Store" Greg Macpherson
25 "Coal Miner Blue's" Brownie Mcgee
26 "Come All You Coal Miners" Sarah Ogan Gunning
27 "No Christmas in Kentucky" Phil Ochs
28 "1913 Massacre" Woody Guthrie
29 "Only A Miner Killed" John Wallace Crawford
30 "Poor Miner's Farewell" Aunt Molly Jackson
31 "Our Cause is Marching On" Davie Robb
32 "That Little Lump of Coal" J.N. York
33 "Which Side Are You On?" The Almanac Singers
34 "The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore" Johnny Cash
35 "Ballad of Barney Graham" Della Mae Graham
36 "Disaster at the Minnington Mine" Hazel Dickens
37 "The High Sheriff of Hazard" Tom Paxton
- Music Playlist: Coalmining Songs
- Published: May 18, 2005
- Type: Review
- Section: Music
- Part of a feature: Music Playlist
- Writer: Robert Burke
- Robert Burke's BC Writer page
- Robert Burke's personal site
- Spread the Word
- Like this article?
- Email this
Save to del.icio.us
Comments on this articleComments
Do you have to search out specific songs to build the playlist, or does Rhapsody provide a suggestions list based on your initial selections, like Yahoo and MusicMatch?
Also, with the Yahoo pricing of $4.99, why use anything else?
Great songs, dude
Yahoo does not allow you to Blog or even email playlists. Also, the quality is inferior to Rhapsody. And besides, that is only an intoductory price.
In a word, Rhapsody blows Yahoo away.
Rhapsdody makes great song sugestions based on what you listen to. No streaming music service can give you a song list by subject. I do the research for my playlists on my own.
I must add Devo's version of "Working In A Coalmine."
Very cool list...
I added the Judds version because the Devo version would stick out like a soar thumb among the other songs. I do love Devo, but it just didn;t fit with the overall feeling of the playlist.
Paradise by John Prine (I think) as done by Dwight Yoakam.
Robert-I found your column or webpage by trial and error.Interesting info. you provide. By any chance,do you know of a song entitled Coal Black Tattoo? I have a vinyl album by an artist named Billy Ed Wheeler and I love this song,but cannot find it. Any help will be much appreciated! Thanks,Greg
Add your comment, speak your mind
(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/29674)
thanks Robert! fascinating as always. I added your playlists to the recurring features section