Nell Campbell was born and raised in North Ingonish. She lived in Ingonish with her family until she was 16, when she needed an emergency operation in Sydney. After recovering from surgery, she moved to Glace Bay to find work. While there, she met Joseph Campbell, a local coalminer. Nell and Joseph eventually decided to get married and raise a family.

One of Nelly Campbell’s hobbies was writing poetry. In the 1950s, after spending a couple of years writing poems, Nelly Campbell started writing songs about various themes, including the life experiences of miners and mining in Cape Breton. She entered some of these songs into a songwriting contest held by CJCB Radio. Some of the songs that she wrote won various prizes in this contest, including her song Plain Ol’ Miner Boy. After the contest, the song became quite popular in Cape Breton and was recorded by various local artists.

She had this to say about the song, “Being a miners’ wife, and raising a family in a mining town in those days, maybe we could say some of the things in the song are true. We did eat a lot of bread and molasses. I sincerely hope that some of the people will still get some pleasure from it.”

This song has become well-known all over Cape Breton as a result of the talents of local performers such as Willie Odo, Charlie MacKinnon, and the Men of the Deeps.

Plain Ole Miner Boy. Willie Odo. John C. O’Donnell Tape Collection. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

This is a verse and chorus of a song about a disgruntled Cape Breton miner. The singer is Dan MacNeil.

Many Gaelic speakers from rural parts of the island moved to the industrial areas to work in the coal mines. Some would stay in lodgings during the week and go home at the weekends. On Friday they would announce, “Tha sinn a’ dol dhachaidh,” meaning “We are going home.” (Some were also regarded by the collectivised miners as “blacklegs,” or scabs.) Hence, the disparaging term “the Yahie miners,” “yahie” being a phonetic rendering of “dhachaidh.”

Oran A’ Mheinneadair. Dan MacNeil. T-1189. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

These songs have long been performed as a medley by The Men of the Deeps. In the version provided here, only the chorus for ‘S e Ceap Breatainn and the chorus and a single version for Down Deep In A Coal Mine are sung. ‘S e Ceap Breatainn, formally known as Òran Do Cheap Breatainn, was written by Dan Alex MacDonald. Down Deep In A Coal Mine is a traditional song that was collected by George Korson. Here we provide you with the lyrics for the medley version and also include a full set of lyrics for each song, including the English translation of the original Gaelic.

This version is from a live recording of the Men of the Deeps on March 25, 1968, when they performed with the University Singers at Holy Angels High School auditorium. Francis H. Stevens of the Cape Breton Post reviewed the show the following day saying, “[they] gave vocal evidence of the beginning of a great tradition. There cannot be any doubt about it.” This archival recording can be found on T-062 at The Beaton Institute.

‘S E Ceap Breatainn/Down Deep in a Coal Mine, 1968. The Men of the Deeps. T-062. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

New Waterford’s Fatal Day is Angus Timmons’ personal account of a mining disaster at the No.12 mine in New Waterford in 1917. This song uses imagery found in various British songs about mining disasters (e.g., The Mines of Avondale).

This field recording was collected by Ronnie MacEachern in 1978.

New Waterford’s Fatal Day, 1978. Amby Thomas. T-1066. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

New Aberdeen Government Store is a humorous song about a government-owned liquor store that used to exist in New Aberdeen. Supposedly, it was written by two schoolboys after the store was built and is similar to several songs with this title that were collected by Helen Creighton.

This field recording was collected by Ronnie MacEachern in 1978.

New Aberdeen Government Store, 1978. Amby Thomas. T-1066. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

Miners’ Memorial Hymn is a hymn written by Horatius Bonar in memory of the miners that were killed during the The Gresford Disaster at the Gresford Colliery in Northeast Wales on September 22, 1934. This is the Nova Scotia version of the hymn, which contains an additional verse written by Judith O’ Donnell. This hymn shows that miners have a strong faith that can be defined as intellectual, simplistic, and accepting, but always firmly rooted.

This version is from a live recording of the Men of the Deeps on March 25, 1968, when they performed with the University Singers at Holy Angels High School auditorium. Francis H. Stevens of the Cape Breton Post reviewed the show the following day saying, “[they] gave vocal evidence of the beginning of a great tradition. There cannot be any doubt about it.” This archival recording can be found on T-062 at The Beaton Institute.

Miners’ Memorial Hymn, 1968. The Men of the Deeps. T-062. Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.

This video recording, produced by Folkus Atlantic in 1996, features a performance by the Men of the Deeps at the Glace Bay Miners’ Museum.

A Miner’s Life, 1996. The Men of the Deeps/Joan Weeks. FT-59, Beaton Institute, Cape Breton University.