Red Hill Mining Town
U2 Lyrics

From father to son
With the passing of time, each new generation of miners becomes further and further removed from the work experience of their forefathers.

The blood runs thin
There is a lack of strong familial ties between these new generations and their ancestors due to the work-related struggles and difficult life circumstances associated with such labor.

See faces frozen still
The men working in the mine will not allow themselves to show any emotion or weakness, due to the constant danger of death that they face every day.

Against the wind
The difficult working conditions and physical exertion required make even simple tasks a challenge that can quickly wear a man down.

The seam is split
Faults in the earth beneath the mine cause instability in the rock formations, leading to disaster at any moment.

The coal face cracked
The thick, dark walls of coal that line the face of the mine are showing signs of wear and tearing, susceptible to the dangers of the job and the ceaseless rush to extract ore.

The lines are long
Working in the mine is an interminable, exhausting process that will go on for as long as it takes to extract the valuable materials from the earth.

There's no going back
The miners have no choice but to soldier on through fatigue, illness, and difficult long-term consequences associated with the job.

Through hands of steel
The miners must have strength and endurance to work so hard for so long, accepting the ever-present risk of injury, and sometimes even death.

And heart of stone
Mental toughness is equally critical, as the emotions and friendships of the miners get buried deeper and deeper with each display of vulnerability or sentiment.

Our labor day
The miners refer to the day in and day out struggle of mining as their 'labor day,' as they continuously work each day for a chance to escape, provide financial security for their families, and create a better life for themselves.

Has come and gone
Day by day, the initial enthusiasm and excitement of the work fades away, replaced instead by a weary acceptance of the position and circumstances of the laborer.

Yeah, you leave me holding on in Red Hill town
The difficulties of the mining job and its harsh, unyielding demands are leaving the miners feeling hopeless and alone amidst the barren wilderness and stark living conditions they face.

See lights go down, I'm hanging on
As the sun sets and the lighting shifts, there is a palpable sense of foreboding as the miners steel themselves against another long, taxing night.

You're all that's left to hold on to
The miner's cling to longstanding traditions - the last vestiges of a now-vanished way of life - for any measure of stability and warmth they can retain.

I'm still waiting, I'm hanging on
The only things that keep the miners going are their unyielding determination, their memories of loved ones outside the mine, and their desperate hope for something better in the future.

The glass is cut, the bottle run dry
As the miners live out their difficult, exhausting days, the only reprieve they have come by way of the odd drink at the local pub, called the Beerhouse, but even that is becoming scarce in supply and low quality, spare moments of respite all too short-lived.

Our love runs cold in the caverns of the night
Nighttime in the mining camp is made even more unpleasant with the lack of warmth or real love to sustain them in the depths of the mines.

We're wounded by fear, injured in doubt
The wear and tear of the physically demanding job of mining is causing the miners to experience doubts and anxieties about their own abilities to get the job done and their worry over injuries that may happen on the job.

I can lose myself, you I can't live without
The pain and hardship of mining makes the miners feel that they are truly living as themselves, but also that they could never survive that hard life without the others who labor alongside them.

Yeah, you keep me holding on in Red Hill town
Despite the struggles and difficulties, hope remains for a better life and future outside of the mine - a hope that is fed by the bonds of friendship that form during years of shared labor and adversity.

We'll scorch the earth, set fire to the sky
The miners dream of leaving the mining life and making their mark on the world and the skies, taking their experience and determination to the next level in a different context.

We stoop so low, to reach so high
The miners will do anything and everything to escape their current life, even if it means taking on the kinds of jobs whose risks are just as high, if not higher.

A link is lost, the chain undone
The bonds that once held the miners together begin to unravel, as the wear and tear of the years finally begin to take their toll on each and every one of them.

We wait all day, for night to come
The miners are always eager to escape the unpredictability and danger of the job and enter the relative safety of the night, ready to rest their aching bodies.

And it comes like a hunter child
Even though the night can be cold and unyielding, it can also be a brief respite and a time for the ghosts of the past to come and comfort those who still wish for something more.

You're all that's left to hold on to
The miners have few resources to hold on to but each other, as their lives out in the middle of nowhere lack any real sense of comfort or normality.

Love, slowly stripped away
The miners feel as if their relationships with their loved ones and the world outside of the camp are slowly fading away, as the hardships of the mine begin to take an immense toll on each one's well-being.

Love, has seen its better day
The miners feel that their love for others and their enthusiasm for life have been worn down by their years of hard work and grinding poverty, and that they are becoming increasingly distant from the very things that once gave them hope.

The lights go out on Red Hill
As another long, grueling day draws to a close, the miners must endure yet another cold and joyless night until they have fled from the darkness of the mine and returned to real life once again.

The lights go down on Red Hill town
As the sun sets, the miners know that there are plenty of challenges to overcome, difficulties that can only be overcome with true grit and a steely determination to make it until the next day finally dawns.