Kweskin released six albums and two greatest hits compilations on Vanguard Records between 1963-1970; Jim Kweskin's America on Reprise Records in 1971; and four albums on Mountain Railroad Records between 1978-87.
Dark As A Dungeon
Jim Kweskin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never will forget one time when I was on a little visit down home in Ebenezer, Kentucky. I was a-talkin' to an old man that had known me ever since the day I was born, and an old friend of the family. He says, "Son, you don't know how lucky you are to have a nice job like you've got and don't have to dig out a livin' from under these old hills and hollers like me and your pappy used to." When I asked him why he never had left and tried some other kind of work, he says, "Nawsir, you just won't do that. If ever you get this old coal dust in your blood, you're just gonna be a plain old coal miner as long as you live." He went on to say, "It's a habit [CHUCKLE] sorta like chewin' tobaccer."
Come and listen you fellows, so young and so fine,
And seek not your fortune in the dark, dreary mines.
It will form as a habit and seep in your soul,
'Till the stream of your blood is as black as the coal.
CHORUS:
Where danger is double and pleasures are few,
Where the rain never falls and the sun never shines
It's dark as a dungeon way down in the mine.
It's a-many a man I have seen in my day,
Who lived just to labor his whole life away.
Like a fiend with his dope and a drunkard his wine,
A man will have lust for the lure of the mines.
I hope when I'm gone and the ages shall roll,
My body will blacken and turn into coal.
Then I'll look from the door of my heavenly home,
And pity the miner a-diggin' my bones.
The song "Dark As A Dungeon" by Jim Kweskin tells the story of an old coal miner warning a younger generation about the dangers of working in the mines. The singer describes how he had once talked with an old man in Kentucky who had worked in the mines his whole life, and had told him that once the coal dust gets in your blood, you can't escape the life of a coal miner. The chorus of the song is hauntingly beautiful, with the words "It's dark as a dungeon and damp as the dew, Where danger is double and pleasures are few, Where the rain never falls and the sun never shines, It's dark as a dungeon way down in the mine." This chorus paints a picture of the dangerous, isolated, and bleak conditions that coal miners experience.
The singer goes on to describe how he has seen many men who have given their lives to the mines, essentially becoming addicted to the adrenaline and sense of danger that comes with working in such hazardous conditions. He closes the song by saying that when he dies, he hopes his body turns into coal so that he can look down on the miners from heaven and pity them for digging up his remains. The song is a poignant commentary on the tough lives of coal miners, and the struggles that they face as they give their lives to the dangerous and difficult world of mining.
Line by Line Meaning
Come and listen you fellows, so young and so fine,
Hey there, young folks, lend me your ears!
And seek not your fortune in the dark, dreary mines.
Don't go to the mines to make your fortune, kids.
It will form as a habit and seep in your soul,
Working in the mines will become a habit that consumes your soul.
'Till the stream of your blood is as black as the coal.
It will become a part of you until your blood turns as dark as the coal you mine.
CHORUS:
Here comes the chorus, folks!
It's dark as a dungeon and damp as the dew,
The mines are dark and damp, folks.
Where danger is double and pleasures are few,
There's a lot of danger but not much enjoyment down there.
Where the rain never falls and the sun never shines
There's no rain or sunlight in the mines.
It's dark as a dungeon way down in the mine.
It's as dark as a dungeon down there, folks!
It's a-many a man I have seen in my day,
I've seen many men in my time down there in the mines,
Who lived just to labor his whole life away.
They spent their entire lives working there.
Like a fiend with his dope and a drunkard his wine,
Their obsession with the work became like a drug addiction or alcoholism.
A man will have lust for the lure of the mines.
The mines can be enticing and addictive, folks.
I hope when I'm gone and the ages shall roll,
After I'm gone and time marches on...
My body will blacken and turn into coal.
My body will eventually turn to coal as it decomposes down there.
Then I'll look from the door of my heavenly home,
When I'm in my heavenly home, I'll look down...
And pity the miner a-diggin' my bones.
And feel sorry for the miner who digs up my bones.
Contributed by Olivia T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.