It's exactly this sort of openness to the people and places that pass through her life, and to the opportunities that might emerge in every new and particular circumstance, that grew to become the central theme of this new album . . . and the very process by which Elkin somehow managed to find herself in the midst of some of Austin's finest musicians and producers, literally, within days of arriving in town.
While already making quite a buzz around the Austin scene with her highly spirited and spontaneous performances, Elkin spends the majority of her time on the road still, touring nationally and in the UK and Europe.
For more about Carrie, please see her own website at http://www.carrieelkin.com
Black Lung
Carrie Elkin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Twenty years nine to five
It was dark
And he died
Darker than the lung
Inside
Darker than his face
When he stepped out into the night
They said I cried
But I don't remember
The day that he died
I was nine
It was the day before his birthday
And the day after mine
Oh it was the day after mine
Just in between
Isn't it funny how we like
To create this balance in life sometimes
With a six pack of beer
He was spittin' in a tin
And kissing my mama goodnight
And she said to breathe
But his lungs were full
Of something instead of air
She watched him fall
It was sort of sweetly
Neath the firelight
Over the arm of his chair
And she said to breathe
But his lungs were full
Of something instead of air
It was sort of sweetly
She watched him fall
And she said to breathe
In Carrie Elkin's song "Black Lung," the singer recounts the story of her father's life as a coal miner and his eventual death from the occupational disease known as black lung. The song begins with the opening lines, "My daddy he worked in a coal mine / Twenty years nine to five." This sets the stage for the rest of the song, which tells a poignant story of the hard work, suffering, and loss that are often part of life in the coal-mining communities.
The lines "It was dark / And he died / Darker than the lung / Inside" evoke a sense of despair and hopelessness that comes from working in a coal mine, where miners are constantly exposed to dust and other dangerous particles that can lead to debilitating health issues. The image of the dark lung, which is darker than the skin of the miner's face, is a powerful symbol of the destructive nature of this disease. The darkness is further contrasted against the light of the miner's life, as the singer goes on to describe the day of her father's death as "the day before his birthday / And the day after mine."
Throughout the song, there is a sense of loss and pain, but also of love and resilience. The memories of the singer's father - his spitting into a tin, his kissing her mother goodnight, his falling asleep over the arm of his chair - are imbued with a sense of tenderness and affection. And even though he has passed away, his presence is still felt in the singer's life, as she remembers him in the lines "And she said to breathe / But his lungs were full / Of something instead of air."
Overall, "Black Lung" is a beautiful and moving tribute to the lives of coal miners and the communities that support them, as well as a powerful reminder of the human toll of industrial progress and the importance of valuing human life over profit.
Line by Line Meaning
My daddy he worked in a coal mine
My father's livelihood was working in a coal mine
Twenty years nine to five
He worked there for twenty years from nine to five
It was dark
The coal mine was a dark place to work in
And he died
Due to his work in the coal mine, he passed away
Darker than the lung
The coal mine work caused his lungs to become very dark
Inside
The darkness was within his body
Darker than his face
His face was so dark due to the coal dust, that it was darker than his lung
When he stepped out into the night
After a long day at the mine, he left the darkness of the mine and stepped into the night
Wiped the dust from his eyes
He had to remove the coal dust from his eyes after a day at work
They said I cried
People told me that I cried
But I don't remember the day that he died
Due to the shock of his passing, I have no recollection of the day he died
I was nine
I was only nine years old when my father passed away
It was the day before his birthday
His death occurred the day before his birthday
And the day after mine
His death occurred the day after my own birthday
Oh it was the day after mine
His death occurred on the day after my own birthday
Just in between
His birthday and my birthday were just a day apart
Isn't it funny how we like
It's interesting how humans enjoy creating balance, like in this situation
To create this balance in life sometimes
We try to find balance in our lives, even in situations like this
With a six pack of beer
My father enjoyed drinking a six-pack of beer
He was spittin' in a tin
He was chewing tobacco and spitting the juice in a tin can
And kissing my mama goodnight
Before bed, he would give my mother a kiss goodnight
And she said to breathe
My mom told my dad to keep breathing
But his lungs were full
His lungs were already filled with something else
Of something instead of air
His lungs were filled with something other than air
She watched him fall
My mom witnessed my dad's collapse
It was sort of sweetly
The situation was both terrible and sentimental
Neath the firelight
The incident occurred in the light of a fire
Over the arm of his chair
He fell over the arm of his chair
Contributed by Nolan S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.