Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2019 7:45:28 GMT -5
Might post a video of this next week, but here's a new one. It was inspired by an AP article about the closing of the Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte coal mines in Wyoming this summer. Trying to channel a little Tom Russell....
Belle Ayr
© 2019 by David Hanners
Powder River Basin stretches from the Big Horns to the Black Hills
Work in the Belle Ayr Mine was steady and man, did it pay the bills
Drove a Cat 797, twin V-12s made her run
Hauling 340 tons of coal per load from the Wyodak-Anderson
Then the mine got new owners, an outfit named Blackjewel
Some days we parked the haulers ‘cause we couldn’t get parts or fuel
They stopped making payroll, things were worse than they looked
Blackjewel went belly up, now the Belle Ayr’s closed for good
(chorus)
Don’t think I can make it through the winter that we’re facing
Feeling old as the coal of the Powder River Basin
Working man just loses, and the game ain’t fair
All we’ve got is a hole in the ground named Belle Ayr
Marie and I burned through our savings, we’re down to one car
Finding that the skills I have won’t get me very far
She’s back to waiting tables at Ruby Tuesday
Part-time and no insurance, a manager half her age
Marie gets off at 10 so I’m waiting in the lot
A man should provide for his, that’s what I was taught
She gets in the car and says, “God, that shift was long”
I throw it in gear and we head for home
(chorus)
Don’t think I can make it through the winter that we’re facing
Feeling old as the coal of the Powder River Basin
Working man just loses, and the game ain’t fair
All we’ve got is a hole in the ground named Belle Ayr
Working man just loses, it's the oldest game in town
Wakes up and all he’s got is a big hole in the ground
Belle Ayr
© 2019 by David Hanners
Powder River Basin stretches from the Big Horns to the Black Hills
Work in the Belle Ayr Mine was steady and man, did it pay the bills
Drove a Cat 797, twin V-12s made her run
Hauling 340 tons of coal per load from the Wyodak-Anderson
Then the mine got new owners, an outfit named Blackjewel
Some days we parked the haulers ‘cause we couldn’t get parts or fuel
They stopped making payroll, things were worse than they looked
Blackjewel went belly up, now the Belle Ayr’s closed for good
(chorus)
Don’t think I can make it through the winter that we’re facing
Feeling old as the coal of the Powder River Basin
Working man just loses, and the game ain’t fair
All we’ve got is a hole in the ground named Belle Ayr
Marie and I burned through our savings, we’re down to one car
Finding that the skills I have won’t get me very far
She’s back to waiting tables at Ruby Tuesday
Part-time and no insurance, a manager half her age
Marie gets off at 10 so I’m waiting in the lot
A man should provide for his, that’s what I was taught
She gets in the car and says, “God, that shift was long”
I throw it in gear and we head for home
(chorus)
Don’t think I can make it through the winter that we’re facing
Feeling old as the coal of the Powder River Basin
Working man just loses, and the game ain’t fair
All we’ve got is a hole in the ground named Belle Ayr
Working man just loses, it's the oldest game in town
Wakes up and all he’s got is a big hole in the ground