Down, Down, Down
Performer(s): William E. Keating



With your kind attention, a song I will trill 
all ye who must toil with the pick and the drill 
and sweat for your bread in that hole in Oak Hill 
that goes down, down, down

When I was a boy my Daddy said to me 
"Stay out of the mines, take my warning", said he 
"Or with dust you'll bechoked and a pauper you'll be 
broken down, down, down

But I went to Oak Hill and I asked for a job 
a mule for to drive, or a gangway to rob 
The boss said 
"Come out, Bill, and follow the mob, that goes down, down, down

Said Pete McAvoy, "Here's Bill Keatin' the scamp" 
Just back, Pete suggested, from a million mile tramp 
Then he showed me a windle where I'd get a lamp to go down, down, down

The lamp man he squints through the windle at me 
"What's your name and your age and your number?" said he 
"Bill Keatin', I'm thirty, number twenty-three, mark that down, down, down

With a frown for disfavor, my joke it was met 
For an argument plainly, Jim Griffiths was set 
For he told me that divil a lamp would I get to go down, down, down

With an old greasy apron he polished his speck 
he declared of the rules he'd be makin' a wreck 
if he'd give me a lamp without a brass check to go down, down, down

A contraption he gave me, a hose on a box 
'twas so heavy I thought it was loaded with rocks 
If a car jumped the road, you could use it for blocks while you're down, down, down

I asked him what tools would I need in the place 
"Very few," said the boss with a grin on his face 
"One number-six shovel and darn little space while you're down, down, down

When you're drivin' the gangway you needs lots of tools 
and you bring them yourself, it's the anthracite rules 
but a laggin' suffices to drive balky mules, when you're down, down, down

At drivin' a mule I'm not overly slick 
but the plugs in Oak Hill I showed many's a trick 
when I hollered, "Yah," if they started to kick, they went down, down, down

Then up to the head of the shaft I made haste 
I saluted the top man and stood on my place 
I says, "Give me a cage for I've no time to waste, let me down, down, down

"All aboard for the bottom!" the top man did yell 
we stepped on the cage, and we gave her the bell 
Then from under our feet, like a bat out o'hell, she went down, down, down