Spring Hill Mining Disaster
Tour	Just prior to the The Joshua Tree Tour
Date	March 16, 1987
Location	The Late Late Show - Irish television
Streaming  Real Audio	4 minutes 35 seconds
Download	565 Kb

 
U2 participated in a special tribute show to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Irish folk band The Dubliners.

"I'm very proud to be part of this," says Bono.  "I met Ronnie Drew along the road over the years, really love the man.  Never met Luke Kelly; I saw him cross O'Connell Street once.  Fiery red hari, would have love to have met him.  This is a song that you lot have inspired me with.  It's your version of Springhill Mining Disaster."

After a delicate intro by Edge, Bono pours his heart into the song, a lament for the victims of a mining disaster at Springhill, in the Canadian Province of Nova Scotia.  Written by American folk singer Peggy Seeger and often performed by The Dubliners, its lyrics tell of miners trapped underground singing songs while waiting for a rescue team, trying to stay alive without food or water.
 

Springhill Mining Disaster

In the town of Springhill Nova Scotia
Down in the dark of the Cumberland mine
There's blood on the coal, and the miners lie
In roads that never saw sun nor sky
Roads that never saw the sun nor sky

In the town of Springhill
You don't sleep easy
Often the earth will tremble and roll
When the earth is restless
Miners die

Bone and blood is the price of coal
Bone and blood is the price of coal

In the town of Springhill Nova Scotia
Late in the Year ...
Well the day still comes and the sun still shines
But it's dark at the graves of the Cumberland miners
It's dark at the graves of the Comberland miners

Listen to the shouts of the black faced miner
Listen to the call of the rescue team
We have no water, light or bread
So we're living on songs and hope instead
We're living on songs and hope instead

In the town of Springhill Nova Scotia
Down in the dark of the Cumberland mine
There's blood on the coal, and the miners lie
In roads that never saw sun or sky
Roads that never saw sun nor sky

In the town of Springhill Nova Scotia
Often the earth will tremble and roll
When the earth is restless
Miners die

Bone and blood is the price of coal
Bone and blood is the price of coal
Bone and blood is the price of coal