Hi everyone! I’m one of Heather Sparling’s research assistants this summer and have been working on this disaster songs project with her. Last week, under Heather’s direction, I began searching for songs both on the 2010 Chilean mine disaster and the 2006 Sago (West Virginia) mine disaster. I ended up finding a beautiful yet, of course, tragic song about the Sago mine disaster. It’s called “What Would You Say” and it’s by Trailor Choir. You can listen to it at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxMS_rSeiiY&feature=related.
I’m not sure whether we’ll be posting it on the main site or not since it is a little bit outside our realm of research, but I thought the song was so good that I should at least post it here.
Now I’m wondering whether there are any other songs that are related to either of these disasters, or whether there are other international disasters that might have inspired songs that are worth taking a look at. If anyone knows about anything like this, it would be great if you could let us know!
An amazing musician and good friend of mine wrote a song for Sago back in 2012. I played music with him while I was attending undergraduate school in Morgantown, WV, and he is now a professor of English in Kentucky.
https://jmarinelli.bandcamp.com/track/song-for-sago
On the first day of this New Year
The miner spoke up without fear:
The only living wage is found
Miles below the cold Upshur ground
On the second day of this New Year
The town of Tallmansville did hear
A shudder from deep underground
The ICG company town
On the third day of this New Year
The radio reported here
All thirteen miners had been found
Alive and well in the cold hard ground
On the fourth day of this New Year
The CEO’s address was clear
Misinformed, sadly misled
A dozen out of all now dead
And as the families of the men
Mourned and prayed for their fallen
No apology there could be found
For the twelve men dead in a company town
Thanks so much for sharing this song and its lyrics, Ernie! It’s especially great to have the link.