Ian Wagner was his name
shift boss down in the mines
ever missed a chance to
give us boys a hard time
he'd take coal off the top
with a snarl on his face
send us back to digging
of a heart he had no trace
traveled in circles
that were closed to us underground
smoking the boss' cigars
paid well to keep us down
held the best jobs back
for his own countrymen
to those who complained
to the blacklist he'd send
men would die from the work
he'd scratch "˜em off the board
like a broke down mule
in the eyes of the Lord
But miners justice has a way
of taking care of friends
so one day he went down
and never came up again
Now I ain't saying I know nothing
"˜bout what happened that day
must've been in the wrong place
when the coal she had her say
it'll crush you like grapes
waiting on the wine
better watch yourself sir
down here the sun don't shine
So the moral of this story
ain't very hard to see
you wanna see the way the world works
well you just follow me
I'll show you money men and workers
and you choose between the two
but be careful friend
choose wrong and you'll lose