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 on roads that never saw sun or sky roads that never saw sun or 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 of 58 the day still comes and the sun still shines but it s dark as the grave in the cumberland mine dark as the grave in the cumberland mine three days past when the lamps gave out and caleb rushton got up and said we ve no more water or light or bread so we ll live on songs and hope instead live on songs and hope instead listen for the shouts of the black face miners listen through the rubble for the rescue teams three hundred tonnes of coal and slag hope imprisoned in a three foot seam hope imprisoned in a three foot seam twelve days passed and some were rescued leaving the dead to lie alone through all their days they dug a grave two miles of earth is a marking stone two miles of earth is a marking stone