I'm a little collier lad,
Hardworking all the day,
From early morn till late at night
No time have I to play.
Down in the bowels of the earth
Where no bright sun rays shine,
You'll find me busy at my work,
A white slave of the mine.

CHORUS  (sung twice)
Our lot in life is full of strife;
But we make no murmur or sign,
For daily we toil down deep in the soil-
The white slaves of the mine.

When daylight comes I go to work,
When dark I go to bed,
The money that my labor earns,
Keeps us in meat and bread.
Poor father he was killed one day,
Yet mother for him pines,
And that is why you see me here
A white slave of the mine.

But after all when life is done,
And God has called the roll,
I hope to find He's not forgot
The little collier soul;
Hard work and toil has dwarfed him so,
And ground him down so fine-
That is why you see me here
A white slave of the mine.

Minstrels of the Mine Patch
- George Korson