Coal Hole Cavalry
The Houghton Weavers Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Early morning, dreaming is shattered
One clitter-clatter on t'flags outside
Old Knocker-Upper rat-tatting on t'window
Making sure nobody's overlied.

Clittering, clattering, coal-hole cavalry
Galloping, rain or fine
Clittering, clattering, coal-hole cavalry
Galloping down to t'mine.

Father yawning, drizzle on t'window
More clitter-clattering coming down t'hill
Stairs are creaking, oven door banging
Father waiting for Uncle Bill.

Mam is filling 'is bottle wi' water
Clatter-clitter-clatter and a rattle on t'latch
Clogs in t'lobby an' talking quiet
Arguing t' toss about Sunday's match.

Come on, Billy lad, best get goin'
Clatter-clitter-clatter an' t'front door bang!!
Going down to t'mucky old coal-pit
Hear pit hat and snap-tin clang!

Colliers riding a million horses
Clatter-clitter-clatter all over t'world
"Look-out! Injuns, Cavalry's coming!"
Picks and shovels and banners unfurled.

Hooter's blowin' a sound of vict'ry
Clatter-clitter-clattering's over an' done
All t'world's quiet an' sleep is coming




Wish I were a collier - collier - collier
Wish I were a collier, it must be fun!

Overall Meaning

The Houghton Weavers's song "Coal Hole Cavalry" is a nostalgic and poignant tribute to the miners of the industrial era. The lyrics describe the daily routine of a collier family, starting with the Knocker-upper's wake-up call, which shattered the dreamy morning silence. The colliers would then get ready for work, with the father waiting for Uncle Bill to arrive before heading down to the mine. The song poetically evokes the harsh and dangerous life of a miner, who had to face the elements and the risk of accidents in the dark and dusty tunnels.


The chorus, "Clittering, clattering, coal-hole cavalry/ Galloping, rain or fine/ Clittering, clattering, coal-hole cavalry/ Galloping down to t'mine," emphasizes the pride and solidarity of the miners as a group, who marched to work like an army of horses. The phrase "coal-hole cavalry" is a metaphor that likens the miners to a cavalry charging into battle, ready to face any challenge. The song also alludes to the miners' camaraderie and sense of community, as they talked about the Sunday's match and joked and teased each other along the way.


Overall, "Coal Hole Cavalry" is a poignant and vivid tribute to the miners' way of life, capturing their hard work, courage, and resilience. It reminds us of the heritage and legacy of the mining industry and its impact on the social and cultural fabric of the working-class communities.


Line by Line Meaning

Early morning, dreaming is shattered
The peace of the morning is interrupted by noise.


One clitter-clatter on t'flags outside
A single sound breaks the silence outside.


Old Knocker-Upper rat-tatting on t'window
It's the Knocker-Upper's job to make sure everyone wakes up on time.


Making sure nobody's overlied.
The Knocker-Upper is double-checking that no one has overslept.


Clittering, clattering, coal-hole cavalry
The sound of feet running to the coal mines is like a cavalry.


Galloping, rain or fine
The miners go to work regardless of the weather conditions.


Father yawning, drizzle on t'window
The father is tired and it's raining outside.


More clitter-clattering coming down t'hill
More miners are coming down the hill towards the mines.


Stairs are creaking, oven door banging
Everyone is waking up and getting ready for work.


Father waiting for Uncle Bill.
The father is waiting for his brother to arrive so they can go to work together.


Mam is filling 'is bottle wi' water
Mother is filling the miner's water bottle for his day at work.


Clatter-clitter-clatter and a rattle on t'latch
More miners are arriving at the house and opening the door to enter.


Clogs in t'lobby an' talking quiet
The miners are putting their clogs on and having a quiet conversation before they leave.


Arguing t' toss about Sunday's match.
They are having a friendly argument about a football game that happened on Sunday.


Come on, Billy lad, best get goin'
One of the miners is urging his friend Billy to hurry up and leave for work.


Clatter-clitter-clatter an' t'front door bang!!
The miners leave the house and slam the door behind them.


Going down to t'mucky old coal-pit
The miners are heading down to the dirty coal mines for their work day.


Hear pit hat and snap-tin clang!
They can hear the sound of the miners' hats and lunch pails banging against each other as they walk.


Colliers riding a million horses
The miners are like an army, all riding their horses (the carts they use to transport the coal).


Clatter-clitter-clatter all over t'world
The sound of the miners going to work can be heard all over the world.


"Look-out! Injuns, Cavalry's coming!"
People might mistake the sound of the miners for a cavalry coming to attack, like in a Western movie.


Picks and shovels and banners unfurled.
The miners are armed with their tools and their banners, ready to work and stand up for their rights.


Hooter's blowin' a sound of vict'ry
The sound of the hooter indicates that the workday is over and the miners have won the day.


Clatter-clitter-clattering's over an' done
The miners are finished for the day and the sound of their footsteps has stopped.


All t'world's quiet an' sleep is coming
It's the end of the day and everyone is going to bed.


Wish I were a collier - collier - collier
The singer wishes he were a miner and part of their community.


Wish I were a collier, it must be fun!
Despite the hard work and dangers, the singer thinks that being a miner seems enjoyable and fulfilling.




Contributed by Nora L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@hazelparr8461

One of my all time favourites. Must have sung along to this on tape hundreds of times and still know the words now!
Hazel xxx

@chopchung

EEH.me favourite version o'this one.

@philgrimes6322

great stuff,magnificent  music that my old teacher alan harris made us listen to it were good then it dont date, ripley wayfares anyone?

More Versions