I slammed the door at quarter to four
I was headed for the company store
"I'll watch my children starve no more
Tonight I'm going to feed them"
"I haven't worked in 40 days
For 23 I've had no pay
In a week I'll have no place to stay
In an hour they'll have to kill me"
On the way I met big Johnny Hines
The strongest man in Sydney Mines
I told big Johnny of my plight
His voice grew loud with anger
"Todays as good a day to die
As any that'll come to mind
I have at home a sickly wife
And I haven't worked since Easter"
We hadn't worked since easter
Half the town'll die from the mining of the coal
The other half'll leave when the mine decides to close
The people who are left will starve to death at the hands of the company store
And they'll bring the army in on us when the union gets to close to them
BURN IT DOWN BOYS!
BURN IT DOWN BOYS!
BURN IT DOWN I SAID, TO THE HEAD!
They'll shoot us down like our fathers but like them we're already dead and down.
Our anger built and tightly wound
We walked the coal road through the town
"The store," I yelled, "We'll burn it down, Burn it to a cynder!"
As I spoke these words before my eyes
Their doors and windows opened wide
And 10 more miners joined my side
Beaten, starved and angered
We were beaten, starved and angered
Half the town'll die from the mining of the coal
The other half'll leave when the mine decides to close
The people who are left will starve to death at the hands of the company store
And they'll bring the army in on us when the union gets to close to them
BURN IT DOWN BOYS!
BURN IT DOWN BOYS!
BURN IT DOWN I SAID, TO THE HEAD!
They'll shoot us down like our mothers but like them we're already dead and down.
I slammed the door at quarter to four
I was headed for the company store
"I'll watch my children starve no more
Tonight I'm going to feed them"
"I haven't worked in 40 days
For 23 I've had no pay
In a week I'll have no place to stay
In an hour they'll have to kill me"
Half the town'll die from the mining of the coal
The other half'll leave when the mine decides to close
The people who are left will starve to death at the hands of the company store
And they'll bring the army in on us when the union gets to close to them
BURN IT DOWN BOYS!
BURN IT DOWN BOYS!
BURN IT DOWN I SAID, TO THE HEAD!
They'll shoot us down like our fathers but like them we're already dead and down.