Though best known for their instrumental hit "Pick Up the Pieces," the band's strength lies in their consistently accomplished songwriting, stretching across several gold-selling albums and multi-Grammy nominations for Atlantic Records. Despite their Scottish roots, the six-piece band developed their own "authentic" sound influenced by R&B heroes such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown, and Donny Hathaway, which was eagerly adopted by black audiences in the US and elsewhere.
Many of the band's cuts, such as "Cut The Cake" and "Let's Go 'Round Again," attracted chart action as hit singles, while album tracks like "Schoolboy Crush" and "Person to Person" became much-sampled "rare" grooves. Other tunes like "Cloudy," "A Love Of Your Own," and "Nothing You Can Do" stand alongside some of the finest soul album tracks ever recorded.
The current lineup of the band, with noted US musicians alongside founding members Alan Gorrie and Onnie McIntyre, continues to delight audiences and critics alike in its wide-ranging touring. The musical energy and trademark sound are remarkably true to the original, and with constant revisitation and re-workings of AWB's, and others' classics in the mix, it is no surprise that the Average White Band is now a multi-generational attraction and a perennial fixture with many of the top music venues.
Soul Mine
Average White Band Lyrics
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Working in a Soul Mine
Working in a Soul Mine
Working in a Soul Mine
You make me work, just love to see me sweat
The hotter baby, the rougher that it gets
You're a heart 's stopper, you must be made of stone
It's like working in a Soul Mine
I just can't work no harder
It's like working in a Soul Mine
'Til the day is done
Working in a Soul Mine
I just can't work no harder
Working in a Soul Mine when can I have some fun
Yeah, you make it seem, you're having fun when I hurt
Sometimes I think you just love to see me hurt
I'm like a dog babe, digging in the dirt
Sometimes I think you don't know what you're doing to me
Back on my knees, got a mind to set me free
It's like working in a Soul Mine
Just can't work no harder
It's like working in a Soul Mine
'Til the day is done
Working in a Soul Mine
I just can't work no harder
Working in a Soul Mine, when can I have some fun
Working in a Soul Mine
Working in a Soul Mine
Believe me baby, I don't want to be this way
You bring me trouble girl, what more can I say
Give me soul, blood and roll my fingers to the bone
Give me back my soul babe, I want to take my spirit home
Now I'm working in a Soul Mine
Just can't work no harder
It's like working in a Soul Mine
'Til the day is done
Working in a Soul Mine
I just can't work no harder
Working in a Soul Mine, gotta have some fun
It's like working in a Soul Mine
Just can't work no harder
It's like working in a Soul Mine
'Til the day is done
Working in a Soul Mine
I just can't work no harder
The song "Soul Mine" by Average White Band speaks of the hardships of being in a relationship with someone who seems to enjoy causing pain and suffering. The metaphor of a "soul mine" describes the emotional labor that the singer is constantly putting in, reminiscent of a coal mine in which an individual is digging deep, grueling work with no escape. The lyrics suggest that the singer is being constantly pushed to their limit by their partner, who thrives on watching them struggle. The idea of how hard it is to work in a soul mine is brought out frequently, reminding listeners of the difficulties one faces while in such a toxic relationship.
The song implies the wish to break away from the cycle, but the singer feels trapped and unable to escape the pain in their relationship. They feel like they are caught in a never-ending cycle of heartache, and there seems to be no end in sight. This sense of hopelessness is added by the repetitive nature of the song, underscoring how essential it is to extract oneself from such relationships before becoming emotionally exhausted.
Line by Line Meaning
Working in a Soul Mine
Feeling trapped in a relationship that feels like a never-ending, physically and emotionally draining job in a mine that extracts one's soul.
You make me work, just love to see me sweat
The feeling of being manipulated and taken for granted by a partner who enjoys watching their significant other strain and suffer.
The hotter baby, the rougher that it gets
The more intense and exhausting the situation becomes, the more emotionally manipulative and heartless the partner behaves.
You're a heart 's stopper, you must be made of stone
Describing the partner as someone who has no empathy, compassion, or concern for the emotional and mental well-being of their significant other.
Sometimes I swear I wish, you'd leave me alone
Feeling hopeless and wishing that the partner would stop taking advantage and leave them alone.
Yeah, you make it seem, you're having fun when I hurt
Feeling that the partner derives pleasure and amusement from causing pain and distress to their significant other.
Sometimes I think you just love to see me hurt
Questioning whether the partner takes pleasure in seeing their significant other suffer.
I'm like a dog babe, digging in the dirt
Feeling like a desperate animal digging deeper into a hole, trying to please the partner despite their manipulative and hurtful behavior.
Sometimes I think you don't know what you're doing to me
Wondering whether the partner realizes the emotional and mental pain and damage that they are causing to their significant other.
Back on my knees, got a mind to set me free
Feeling oppressed and humbled, but also determined to break free from the cycle of manipulation and mistreatment by the partner.
Believe me baby, I don't want to be this way
Expressing a desire to find a way out of the emotionally draining and abusive dynamic with the partner.
You bring me trouble girl, what more can I say
Recognizing that the partner is the source of the trouble, heartache, and misery, but feeling powerless to escape it.
Give me soul, blood and roll my fingers to the bone
Asking for a real, authentic, and passionate connection with the partner, that involves hard work and dedication, but not at the expense of one's soul and well-being.
Give me back my soul babe, I want to take my spirit home
Expressing a sense of loss of one's identity and sense of self, and a desire to reclaim it and find comfort and peace in one's own inner world.
Gotta have some fun
Expressing a need and desire to find joy, fulfillment, and pleasure in life, despite the hardships and challenges that come with it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALAN EDWARD GORRIE, ELIOT LEWIS, OWEN MCINTYRE, PETE ABBOTT, ROGER BALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind