“Working Man is very special. We usually end our programs with Working Man and I can’t recall an audience that didn’t rise to their feet as we were doing the final chorus.”
This video recording, produced by Folkus Atlantic in 1996, features a performance by the Men of the Deeps at the Glace Bay Miners’ Museum.
Working Man, 1996. The Men of the Deeps/Joan Weeks. FT-59, Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
Who Are They? is a poem that describes what it’s like to be a coal miner and the types of experiences they have while working underground. The poem looks at the dangerous and physically demanding nature of the job and also sheds light on the personalities of miners and their relationships with one another.
Who Are They? Al Provoe. John C. O’Donnell Tape Collection. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
This song was written by Alec MacKinnon, and a friend, Vic Hall, in the early 1920s. The melody was inspired by a traditional Gaelic song. MacGregor’s was the name of a local bootlegger; Willie MacGregor was also the local pound keeper. The nonsense chorus of the song is common in many songs from the Margaree area of Cape Breton.
This field recording was collected by Ronnie MacEachern in 1978.
When You’re Done Loading Coal, 1978. Charlie MacKinnon. T-1067. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
When I First Went to Caledonia is a love song that likely descends from a class of dramatic ballads of the troubadour/trouvère period in France. The main character of the poem is a young man who works at a coal mine in Caledonia and who yearns for a loving relationship.
This field recording was collected by Ronnie MacEachern in 1978.
When I First Went to Caledonia, 1978. Amby Thomas. T-1066. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
In She Loves Her Miner Lad, the woman of the song talks about how her miner lad is a very kind, generous person who stands by his word and possesses a strong work ethic. The song is descended from a long line of Jolly Miner songs which trace their origin to an old Irish ballad, The Bonny Labouring Boy.
She Loves Her Miner Lad. The Men of the Deeps. John C. O’Donnell Tape Collection. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
Remember the Miner commemorates the life and death of Bill Davis and symbolizes the importance of workers’ solidarity and organized labour. Davis was a miner from New Waterford who was murdered by a British Empire Steel Company (BESCO) policeman while he was walking towards a riot that occurred during the 1925 miners’ strike. He has become a symbol of the oppression that coalminers in the area once faced and the danger they encountered while working in the mines underground.
Remember The Miner. Performers unknown. John C. O’Donnell Tape Collection. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.
The Pluck Me Store describes the company stores where miners purchased food and other necessities for themselves and their families. The song indicates that the company stores also served as a social centre for local coalminers. The miners were obligated to shop at the company store and they were charged high prices for the goods they bought. During the great strike of 1925, a group of miners burned all the stores down.
The Pluck Me Store. The Men of the Deeps. John C. O’Donnell Tape Collection. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.