Pound a Week Rise
Siobhan Miller Lyrics
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From Scotland to South Wales from Teesdale to Tyne
I′ll sing you a song of the pound a week rise
And the men who were fooled by the government's lies
In 19 and 60 a few years ago
The mineworkers′ leaders to Lord Robbins did go
Saying "We work very hard, every day we risk our lives
And it's down you go
Down below, Jack
Where you never see the skies
And you're working in a dungeon
For your pound a week rise
Well up spoke Lord Robbins and he made this decree
"When the out-put rises, with you I will agree
I′ll raise up all your wages, and give you fair pay
For I once a miner and I worked hard in my day"
And it′s down you go
Down below, Jack
Where you never see the skies
And you're working in a dungeon
For your pound a week rise
The miners they went home, they worked hard and well
Their lungs filled with coal dust in the bosom of hell
The out-put rose by fifteen, eighteen percent and more
And when two years had passed and gone it rose about a score
The miners they went home, to get their hard-earned prize
They asked Lord Robbins for their pound a week rise
Robbins wouldn′t give a pound he wouldn't give ten bob
He gave them seven and six and said "Now get back to your jobs!"
And it′s down you go
Down below, Jack
Where you never see the skies
And you're working in a dungeon
For your pound a week rise
So come on all you colliers, take heed to what I say
Don′t believe Lord Robbins when he said he'll give fair pay
He'll tell you to work hard and make the output rise
You′ll get pie in the sky instead of a one pound rise
And it′s down you go
Down below, Jack
Where you never see the skies
And you're working in a dungeon
For your pound a week rise
It′s down you go
Down below, Jack
Where you never see the skies
And you're working in a dungeon
For your pound a week rise
Siobhan Miller's song "Pound a Week Rise" talks about the struggles of the laborers who work in coal mines across the UK. The lyrics convey the message of betrayal, powerlessness, and exploitation prevalent in the lives of the miners. The song is sung from the perspective of someone who empathizes with the miners and tries to make a point by recounting the issue of the pound-a-week-rise.
The song begins with an appeal to all the coal miners who work down in the mine, and their struggles are acknowledged. The lyrics then move on to narrate the miners' effort to demand a raise from Lord Robbins, but they are deceived by his promise to provide the raise when the output increases. The miners worked hard, and the output increased, but when they sought the promised raise, they were only given a small amount, which was a fraction of what they had demanded, and they were asked to get back to work.
The repeated lines "And it's down you go, down below, Jack/Where you never see the skies/And you're working in a dungeon/For your pound a week rise" in the lyrics highlight the miners' plight and their difficult working conditions, and how they were trapped in a cycle of poverty and exploitation. The song speaks to the injustice that the miners experienced, as they worked hard to generate profits for the government and the mine owners but did not receive a fair and just wage.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on all you colliers who work down the mine
Attention all coal miners who work underground
From Scotland to South Wales from Teesdale to Tyne
From various regions of the UK
I′ll sing you a song of the pound a week rise
I'll tell you a story of a one-pound pay increase
And the men who were fooled by the government's lies
And the men who were deceived by false promises from the government
In 19 and 60 a few years ago
In the 1960s, not too long ago
The mineworkers′ leaders to Lord Robbins did go
The leaders of the coal miners went to Lord Robbins
Saying "We work very hard, every day we risk our lives
Telling him that they work extremely hard and put their lives at risk every day
And we ask you here and now for a pound a week rise"
And asking for a one-pound weekly pay increase immediately
And it's down you go
And so, you go underground
Down below, Jack
Deep into the mine, my friend
Where you never see the skies
Where you never see the light of day
And you're working in a dungeon
And you're working in a dark and unpleasant place
For your pound a week rise
All for a one-pound pay increase
Well up spoke Lord Robbins and he made this decree
Then Lord Robbins spoke up and made a statement
"When the out-put rises, with you I will agree
"When the coal production increases, I will agree to your request
I′ll raise up all your wages, and give you fair pay
I'll increase your wages and ensure fair pay
For I once a miner and I worked hard in my day"
Because I used to be a coal miner and worked hard in my day"
The miners they went home, they worked hard and well
The miners returned home and worked hard and diligently
Their lungs filled with coal dust in the bosom of hell
Their lungs were filled with coal dust causing them great suffering and distress
The out-put rose by fifteen, eighteen percent and more
The coal production increased by 15, 18 percent or more
And when two years had passed and gone it rose about a score
By the end of two years, it had increased even more
The miners they went home, to get their hard-earned prize
The miners went home to collect their well-deserved reward
They asked Lord Robbins for their pound a week rise
They requested the one-pound weekly pay increase from Lord Robbins
Robbins wouldn′t give a pound he wouldn't give ten bob
Lord Robbins refused to give them a one-pound increase, and wouldn't even give them ten shillings
He gave them seven and six and said "Now get back to your jobs!"
Instead, he gave them seven shillings and sixpence and told them to get back to work
So come on all you colliers, take heed to what I say
Therefore, all coal miners should listen closely to my words
Don′t believe Lord Robbins when he said he'll give fair pay
Don't trust Lord Robbins when he says he will provide fair wages
He'll tell you to work hard and make the output rise
He will tell you to work hard and increase coal production
You′ll get pie in the sky instead of a one pound rise
You will be given false hope instead of the one-pound increase you deserve
It's down you go
So, you go underground
Down below, Jack
Deep into the mine, my friend
Where you never see the skies
Where you never see the light of day
And you're working in a dungeon
And you're working in a dark and unpleasant place
For your pound a week rise
All for a one-pound pay increase
Writer(s): Ed Pickford
Contributed by Isaac Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.