Many of the Lost Dogs albums include at least one or two cover songs. Songs covered by the Lost Dogs include Bob Dylan's "Lord, Protect My Child," Leonard Cohen's "If It Be Your Will," The Beatles' "I'm A Loser," and Stephen Foster's "Hard Times Come Again No More." They have also recorded a number of Traditional or Gospel standards such as "Dust On The Bible," and "Farther Along."
In March, 2000, shortly after the release of their Gift Horse album, Gene Eugene died in his sleep at The Green Room, his recording studio in Huntington Beach, California.
2003 saw the release of the band's first DVD, Via Chicago, a black and white concert film released by Lo-Fidelity Records. A follow-up DVD, Via Chicago (All We Left Unsaid), containing additional songs from the concert, was released in 2006.
Although the loss of Eugene is noticeable, the remaining three Lost Dogs members continue to tour and record new albums. In 2004, the band got together with longtime friend Steve Hindalong to produce a special album for their summer tour. The result was entitled Mutt, and included new acoustic versions of nine songs originally written and recorded for each band member's regular rock bands, with one new song. The following year, the band would release one of their most unusual recordings to date, the almost entirely instrumental Island Dreams.
The band's most recent project, Old Angel, was released May 2010. The band — including the newest official "dog," drummer Steve Hindalong — once again hit the road for a national tour in support of their new album.
Rocky Mountain Mines
Lost Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And they're black as the coal
And voices they scream in the night
From the deep dark below
There was poor Ivy and Scratch
And friends too many to name
Who were caught in a thundering landslide
And there they'll remain
And I cry Daddy, oh Dad please don't go
But he won't be coming home no
And mother, dear mom don't you know
I'm feeling so old and alone
'Cause I'm the son next in line
For the black lung dyin'
And just a few come back
From the Rocky Mountain mines
We're much too poor to escape
The weight of the earth
In tunnels and dust and fear
We will measure our worth
Here's our bones for the soil
Our blood for the land
Our souls for sweet Jesus
Our bodies be damned
And I cry. . .
Well sometimes I wonder
Where my Daddy's gone
But I know he's gone to the wilderness
And he ain't comin' home
Then sometimes I get to wondering
When it'll be my turn to lie down
In that cold dark place, Lord
Down under the ground
(Traditional)
It's said the mark of Cain
Is on the miners head
And it don't wash with lye soap
'Til he's good and he's dead
I saw my Daddy wave
From the top of the hill
He said Come along, son
I say Soon I will
Lost Dogs's Rocky Mountain Mines is a hauntingly raw song that speaks of the harsh realities of coal mining in the Rocky Mountains. The opening lines of the song speak of ghosts in the hills, dark as the coal itself, who scream from deep below. The lyrics tell of a landslide that killed Ivy, Scratch, and other nameless friends, who now remain trapped in the mountains. The pain and sense of loss is palpable in the chorus, where the singer cries out to his father, who won't be returning home, and to his mother, who is left feeling old and alone. The father's absence and the constant threat of the black lung disease all coal miners face add to the despair of the lyrics.
The tone of the song mirrors the harshness of the landscape and the dangerous lives of those who live and work there. The rhythm and melody are slow and melancholic, adding to the sense of loss and grief. The final verse speaks of the "mark of Cain" upon the miner's head and how it cannot be washed away, even in death. The singer wonders when it will be his turn to lie down in that cold, dark place under the ground. It is a chilling reminder of the dangers these miners face every day and the price they pay for putting food on their family's table.
Overall, Lost Dogs's Rocky Mountain Mines is a powerful and emotional song. It captures the pain and hardships that coal miners and their families face every day. It highlights the sacrifices they make, risking their lives in dangerous working conditions, just to provide for their loved ones. The song is a tribute to these miners and a reminder of the price they pay for our comfort and convenience.
Line by Line Meaning
Some say there's ghosts in the hills
There are rumors that spirits haunt the mountains
And they're black as the coal
The ghosts are described as black, like the coal in the mines
And voices they scream in the night
People claim to hear terrifying screams coming from underground in the dark
From the deep dark below
The screams are coming from under the surface of the mountain where the mines are located
There was poor Ivy and Scratch
Ivy and Scratch were among the many friends and acquaintances who died in a landslide
And friends too many to name
There were so many people who died in the disaster, it's impossible to list them all
Who were caught in a thundering landslide
They were trapped and buried by a violent landslide
And there they'll remain
Their bodies are still trapped under the rubble of the landslide
And I cry Daddy, oh Dad please don't go
The singer is pleading with their father not to leave them
But he won't be coming home no
The father is dead and won't be returning home
And mother, dear mom don't you know
The singer is expressing their sadness to their mother over the loss of their father
I'm feeling so old and alone
The singer feels old and alone without their father
'Cause I'm the son next in line
The singer is next in line to work in the dangerous mines
For the black lung dyin'
The singer is in danger of getting a deadly disease from working in coal mines
And just a few come back
Very few people return from working in the mines
From the Rocky Mountain mines
The song is describing the mines located in the Rocky Mountains
We're much too poor to escape
The people who work in the mines don't have the money to leave and find better work
The weight of the earth
The earth and rock above the miners is heavy and dangerous
In tunnels and dust and fear
The miners work in tunnels that are filled with dust and they are surrounded by constant danger
We will measure our worth
The miners feel that their worth is based on how much they can mine and how much money they can make
Here's our bones for the soil
If the miners die in the mines, their bodies will stay there and become part of the earth
Our blood for the land
The work of the miners is dangerous and often results in serious injury or death
Our souls for sweet Jesus
The miners pray for safety and hope for a better life beyond this one
Our bodies be damned
The physical bodies of the miners are seen as tools to do the hard work, and aren't protected
Well sometimes I wonder
The singer is expressing their thoughts as they think about their father's death
Where my Daddy's gone
The singer is wondering where their father has gone in the afterlife
But I know he's gone to the wilderness
The singer believes their father has gone to a vast and unknown place beyond this world
And he ain't comin' home
The singer accepts that their father won't be coming back to them
Then sometimes I get to wondering
The singer's thoughts turn to their own life and potential tragedy
When it'll be my turn to lie down
The singer is wondering when they will die and be buried like their father
In that cold dark place, Lord
The singer imagines the darkness and chill of the grave where their father and many other miners lie
Down under the ground
The miners are buried underground when they die in the mines
It's said the mark of Cain
The singer references the Biblical story of Cain, who killed his brother Abel and was marked by God. In this context, the miners are marked for death
Is on the miners head
The mark of Cain is seen as a metaphor for the danger that miners face every day, putting their lives at risk
And it don't wash with lye soap
The mark is permanent and can't be erased or forgotten
Til he's good and he's dead
The mark stays with the miner until they die, which is a tragic reminder of the dangers of the job
I saw my Daddy wave
The singer recalls a memory of seeing their father wave goodbye
From the top of the hill
The father was saying goodbye from high ground, perhaps in preparation for leaving for work in the mines
He said Come along, son
The father was inviting the singer to join him, perhaps to teach him the job of mining coal
I say Soon I will
The singer responds to their father's invitation, saying they will join him to learn soon
(Traditional)
The last stanza is a traditional folk song verse, referencing the pain of loss and the unknown that follows death
Contributed by Ava V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.