Hazel Dickens (June 1, 1935, - April 22, 2011, born Mercer County, West Vir… Read Full Bio ↴Hazel Dickens (June 1, 1935, - April 22, 2011, born Mercer County, West Virginia) an American bluegrass singer. She was the eighth child of an eleven-child mining family in West Virginia. Her music is characterized by not only her "high lonesome" singing style, but also by her provocative pro-union, feminist songs.
Poverty drove the Dickens to move to the Baltimore, Maryland area when Dickins was nineteen. There she met Mike Seeger, younger brother of Pete Seeger and founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers and became active in the Baltimore-Washington area bluegrass and folk music scene during the 1960s. During this time she also established a collaborative relationship with Mike Seeger's wife, Alice Gerrard, and as "Hazel & Alice" recorded two albums for the Folkways label: "Who's That Knocking (And Other Bluegrass Country Music) (1965)" and "Won't You Come & Sing for Me (1973)". In this regard, Dickens and Gerrard were bluegrass bandleaders at a time when the vast majority of bluegrass bands were led by men.
Dickens appeared in the documentary Harlan County, USA and also contributed four songs to the soundtrack of the same film. She has also appeared in the film Matewan.
Dickins continues to record and perform all of her life. Her voice is among the most powerful and moving of all bluegrass singers, male or female.
Hazel Dickens died April 22, 2011 at the Washington Home hospice in the District. She was 75 and had complications from pneumonia. Bless you old girl.
Poverty drove the Dickens to move to the Baltimore, Maryland area when Dickins was nineteen. There she met Mike Seeger, younger brother of Pete Seeger and founding member of the New Lost City Ramblers and became active in the Baltimore-Washington area bluegrass and folk music scene during the 1960s. During this time she also established a collaborative relationship with Mike Seeger's wife, Alice Gerrard, and as "Hazel & Alice" recorded two albums for the Folkways label: "Who's That Knocking (And Other Bluegrass Country Music) (1965)" and "Won't You Come & Sing for Me (1973)". In this regard, Dickens and Gerrard were bluegrass bandleaders at a time when the vast majority of bluegrass bands were led by men.
Dickens appeared in the documentary Harlan County, USA and also contributed four songs to the soundtrack of the same film. She has also appeared in the film Matewan.
Dickins continues to record and perform all of her life. Her voice is among the most powerful and moving of all bluegrass singers, male or female.
Hazel Dickens died April 22, 2011 at the Washington Home hospice in the District. She was 75 and had complications from pneumonia. Bless you old girl.
Black Lung
Hazel Dickens Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Black Lung' by these artists:
04. RANCID Sign a petition under working condition Union is in bed with…
16 Horsepower Walkin' up with winkin' eyes Seen that tight-lipped grin I…
Archers I used to think I was better than this I used…
Brendan Bennett [Chorus] Cocaine in the bag gone, Still smoking with a blac…
Carrie Elkin My daddy he worked in a coal mine Twenty years nine…
Cedarwell Black lung-the darkness looks like rain Tree top to flowers …
Full Bloom Shaking I don't know if I can feel Anything I'm breaking All…
Offernat Black lung so sick Purple tongues lick Under skin outsized G…
Rancid Sign a petition under working condition Union is in bed with…
The Butterfly Effect Save your breath I'm not listening Frail like wretch soft an…
The Dead South Basically, we are all alone at the center of a…
The Drowns I tried electric shock, morphine and mild narcotics, but I…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Hazel Dickens:
A Few Old Memories Just a few old memories Slipped in through my door Though I…
Beautiful Hills of Galilee Oh, beautiful hills of Galilee, Amid whose scene the Saviour…
Beyond the Rive Bend There's a path that leads back through my memories And how…
Busted The bills are all dues, the babies need shoes, I'm…
Coal Mining Woman Daylight of dark In rain or shine It don't much matter Down …
Coal Tattoo Travelin' down that coaltown road Listen to those rubber tir…
Custom Made Woman Blues Well I tried to be the kind of woman you…
Don't Put Her Down You Helped Put Her There You pull the string She's your plaything You can make her or…
Faded Pressed Rose When Papa was lyin' on his death bed He told me…
Here Today and Gone Tomorrow Last week I played with a tiny baby I thought how…
Hills of Home There ain't much that's left here that ain't all run…
It She's lost a lot of herself that time cannot replace Bits…
Jealous Heart Jealous heart, oh, jealous heart, stop beating Can't you se…
Mama MAMA'S HANDS I said goodbye to that plain little miner town…
My Better Years Now you're back on my doorstep a' crying …
Old and In the Way As you walk down the street – how often do…
Only the Lonely Only the lonely Only lonely Only the lonely will know I spe…
Play Us a Waltz You walk in the door, you see them sitting there The…
Pretty Bird Fly away little pretty bird Fly Fly away Fly away little…
Scars from an Old Love I held him as close as I dared to go All…
The Ballad of Ira Hayes Call him drunken ira hayes He won't answer any more Not th…
The Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia Oh the green rolling hills of West Virginia …
The Rebel Girl There are women of many descriptions In this queer world, as…
They United we stand, divided we fall For every dime they give…
West Virginia My Home West Virginia, oh my home. …
West Virginia, My Home West Virginia, oh my home. West Virginia, where I belong. In…
Working Girl Blues Hey I got the early Monday morning working blues I put…
Working Girl's Blues Hey I got the early Monday morning working blues I put…
You Gave Me a Song We used to be a family In our little cabin home Whose…
You'll Get No More of Me As you go from me, you want all that's left The…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
@alisonh8551
LYRICS
He's had more hard luck than most men could stand
The mines was his first love but never his friend
He's lived a hard life and hard he'll die
Black lung's done got him his time is nigh
Black lung, bkack lung, oh you're just bidin' your time
Soon all of this sufferin' I'll leave behind
But I can't help but wonder what God had in mind
To send such a devil to claim this soul of mine
He went to the boss man but he closed the door
Well, it seems you're not wanted when you're sick and you're poor
You ain't even covered in their medical plans
And your life depends on the favors of man
Down in the poor house on starvation's plan
Where pride is a stranger and doomed is a man
His soul full of coal dust 'till his body's decayed
And everyone but black lung's done turned him away
Black lung, black lung, oh, your hand's icy cold
As you reach for my life and you torture my soul
Cold as that water hole down in that dark cave
Where I spent my life's blood diggin' my own grave
Down at the graveyard the boss man came
With his little bunch of flowers, dear God what a shame
Take back those flowers, don't you sing no sad songs
The die has been cast now, a good man is gone.
(Repeats the first 8 lines of the lyrics here)
@PotterPossum1989
Love the dog barking in the background
@TheJoshRobot
I have a very similar family history. My grandfather was nearly crushed to death, which scared him out of the mines before he developed black lung. His father had it, and was involved in the Cabin Creek/Paint Creek Strike in 1912, which turned pretty bloody between miners and gun thugs. An important part of American history that too few people seem to remember.
@dierdriu
It's a very important history, and one we must remind others of. Miners fought and died for basic dignity and decent pay for some of the world's hardest work. You come from a proud lineage.
@andrewmyers1447
RIP HAZEL WE ALL MISS YOU
@gentleeyes
All the cancers and injuries and deaths from fracking are going to be the black lung of our generation, and again, we will be too late for so many...
@TexasSapphires
This is absolute perfection.
@kelckeri
My dad and grandfather were West Virginia miners both disabled by black lung and emphysema way too early in life.
@TheJoshRobot
She was indeed. I'll be posting more tracks from this album as I find the time, so keep an eye out. More from Hazel, as well as Nimrod Workman and Sarah Gunning!
@alisonh8551
LYRICS
He's had more hard luck than most men could stand
The mines was his first love but never his friend
He's lived a hard life and hard he'll die
Black lung's done got him his time is nigh
Black lung, bkack lung, oh you're just bidin' your time
Soon all of this sufferin' I'll leave behind
But I can't help but wonder what God had in mind
To send such a devil to claim this soul of mine
He went to the boss man but he closed the door
Well, it seems you're not wanted when you're sick and you're poor
You ain't even covered in their medical plans
And your life depends on the favors of man
Down in the poor house on starvation's plan
Where pride is a stranger and doomed is a man
His soul full of coal dust 'till his body's decayed
And everyone but black lung's done turned him away
Black lung, black lung, oh, your hand's icy cold
As you reach for my life and you torture my soul
Cold as that water hole down in that dark cave
Where I spent my life's blood diggin' my own grave
Down at the graveyard the boss man came
With his little bunch of flowers, dear God what a shame
Take back those flowers, don't you sing no sad songs
The die has been cast now, a good man is gone.
(Repeats the first 8 lines of the lyrics here)
@michaelwhite9837
To all of the men of black jewle