1. The Elders ar… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists which have used this name
1. The Elders are a six-piece Irish American folk rock band, that formed in Kansas City, Missouri.
The band has released six studio albums, The Elders, Pass It on Down, American Wake, Racing the Tide, Gael Day and Wanderin' Life & Times, as well as three live albums "The Best Crowd We Ever Had", "Live at the Gem" and "Alive and Live in Ireland" and one compilation album, "The Best of The Elders Volume 1" which includes some live tracks. They have toured in the United States, Ireland, and Europe, drawing faithful crowds and earning new fans wherever they go.
2. The Elders are a punk band from Tempe, Arizona
3) The Elders are a rock band Fullerton, California. They have released two live albums, both recorded at local venues in 2007. In addition, they have released two self-produced albums, "Castle Of Wood" in 2007 and "Bird Dog" in 2008.
Their current lineup includes Grant "Chowders" Boughter (lead vocals, bass), Jon "Une Twa" Collier (guitar, vocals), Brian "Splooges" Sturgis (guitar, vocals), and Michael "Moze" Karapetian (drums).
Fire In The Hole
The Elders Lyrics
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Counting the hours of the day
‘Til I could wash off the dust from my bones
And spend what's left of my pay
Oh I wish I was back in the company store
With a local girl on my arm
Where a pint and a kiss and a fiddler's reel
Could keep me safe and warm
It's fire in the hole man run for your life
A long blue vein of coal
Out of the dark and into the light
A dollar a day to sell your soul
And live through the fire in the hole
Well I'm fumblin' now for words to say
What's caught behind my tongue
‘Cus I'm shaky now 'bout all the things
I knew when I was young
Just dreamin' tonight that I'm wide awake
A thousand feet under the ground
And a thousand souls under all that weight
Of heaven pressing us down
It's fire in the hole man run for your life
A long blue vein of coal
Out of the dark and into the light
A dollar a day to sell your soul
And live through the fire in the hole
Now a nation will rise from the work we do
Making millionaires night and day
So I'll sign us up with the union man
To get us the rest of our pay
Now we'll strike every day if it comes to that
I coughed every night for a year and a half
We'll meet them at the gates with bullets and some mates
And a few men won't come back
It's fire in the hole man run for your life
A long blue vein of coal
Out of the dark and into the light
A dollar a day to sell your soul
And live through the fire in the hole
The Elders' "Fire in the Hole" is a powerful song capturing the conditions and struggles of coal miners in the Appalachia region. The song talks about a man who has worked in the mines for a decade and is counting the hours to get out of the mines and wash off the dust from his bones. He longs to go back to the company store where he could have a pint, a kiss from a local girl and enjoy a fiddler's reel that could keep him safe and warm. The lyrics show that the mine is a dangerous and isolated place and being underground gives a sense of being suppressed.
The song is framed around the harsh realities of mining coal that include risking one's life and sacrificing one's soul every day for a dollar. It showcases how miners could face the danger of cave-ins and explosions, causing their lives to be at risk every day. The lyrics also suggest that those of the miner's caste are aware that they are being exploited but have no other options to make a living.
"Fire in the Hole" song is both an emotional and politically charged song. The chorus, "Fire in the hole man run for your life, a long blue vein of coal, out of the dark and into the light, a dollar a day to sell your soul," repeats the idea of sacrificing one's soul every day for minimal gains. The song is relatable to those who work in the mines and the working-class Americans who are underpaid, undervalued, and underrepresented. It is a powerful tribute to their struggles and a reminder of how art can be used to voice the need for change and justice.
Line by Line Meaning
Now the last ten years I've worked in the mines
I have spent the past decade working in the mines
Counting the hours of the day
Passing the time by counting down the hours
‘Til I could wash off the dust from my bones
After a long day, I could finally clean off the coal dust from my body
And spend what's left of my pay
After my expenses, I would spend whatever money I had left
Oh I wish I was back in the company store
I miss the sense of community and safety that came from being at the company store
With a local girl on my arm
Accompanied by a girl from town
Where a pint and a kiss and a fiddler's reel
Simple pleasures of drinking, dancing, and spending time with loved ones
Could keep me safe and warm
Made me feel secure and comforted
It's fire in the hole man run for your life
An urgent warning that there is about to be an explosion
A long blue vein of coal
A naturally occurring deposit of coal
Out of the dark and into the light
Emerging from the mine into the daylight after a long shift
A dollar a day to sell your soul
Being paid very little for dangerous and difficult labor
And live through the fire in the hole
Surviving the risks associated with mining
Well I'm fumblin' now for words to say
I am struggling to articulate my thoughts
What's caught behind my tongue
An idea or feeling that I can't seem to express
‘Cus I'm shaky now 'bout all the things
Feeling uneasy about the future and what's to come
I knew when I was young
Things that I was certain about during my youth
Just dreamin' tonight that I'm wide awake
Having vivid dreams while sleeping
A thousand feet under the ground
Deep underground in the mines
And a thousand souls under all that weight
Feeling the weight of the miners' collective labor and struggles
Of heaven pressing us down
The heavy burden of working in the mines and the toll it takes on the miners
Now a nation will rise from the work we do
Society benefits from our hard work in the mines
Making millionaires night and day
Others profit greatly from our labor
So I'll sign us up with the union man
Joining the union to fight for better working conditions and pay
To get us the rest of our pay
Demanding fair compensation for our labor
Now we'll strike every day if it comes to that
Willing to strike and protest for our rights
I coughed every night for a year and a half
Suffering from poor air quality in the mines
We'll meet them at the gates with bullets and some mates
Preparing to confront our employers and their supporters
And a few men won't come back
Aware that confrontation could result in casualties
Contributed by Lily A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.