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Bitch Galena

from Galena by Dave Gibb

/

lyrics

Bitch Galena
(PRS/MCPS ©Dave Gibb 2019)



They woke me as the sunlight slowly crept across the room
And the fire was trying hard to take a hold
It sparked and spat in anger as the light replaced the gloom
As it fought a losing fight against the cold
My mother sat in silence as my sister raised her head
Although the wee soul seemed determined not to wake
And as my father packed his gear he turned towards me and he said
You are ten years old its time you paid your way
You are ten years old and your childhood ends today

For as long as I remember My father always claimed
That no son of his would be digging underground
Fine words spoken from the heart and he meant all that he said
But fine words count for nothing when the real world comes around
He said:
Don't try to earn your living in the darkness child
Don't tunnel into hills to make your way
My father hinted at a choice
A choice I didn't know was mine to make
A future that was never mine to take

And the memories of what he said come back to me again
But I was ten years old I had to pay my way
He said:
Don't try to earn your living in the darkness child
Don't tunnel into hills to make your way
The words hurt then as the words hurt now
And the pain has never really gone away
I prayed to god if I have a son he'd never have to live his life this way
When his choices, options, dreams living life above the dark are stripped away
And he spends his life well hidden from the day
When at ten years old he'll have to pay his way
I was ten years old and my childhood ended that day.

I stood before the miners - my father at my side
The oldest one among them walked towards me and he smiled
It all felt so unreal to me as I stood there in a daze
All I can remember is he smelled of sweat and age
He put his arm around my shoulders and he led me down the mine
He said - I understand your feelings but you'll get used to it in time
Don't be frightened of the dark Its not as bad as it first seems
I'll introduce you to galena - she's the woman of your dreams
She'll feed you when you're hungry - she will clothe you when you're cold
Give you strength while you are young and give you comfort when you're old
Even then - at ten years old I knew it wasn't true.
He said - just follow me and I'll show you what to do

Just fill that hutch then bend your back - let your muscles take the strain
Though at ten years old your body isn't built to take the pain
Then push that bitch galena up to meet the light of day
Well I don't think god meant for me to live this way

I don't know if you're aware of this but there is something you should know
Galena's hard and heavy with no comfort in her soul
She'd robbed that miner of his youth - he was old before his time
But he said - now your job is help to get galena out the mine
So welcome to the darkness child and welcome to your fate
And welcome to your future and the life you'll learn to hate
He handed me a shovel - I thought this nightmare can't be true
But I did as I was told because at ten that's what you do
The miners shuffled past me on their way towards the seam
Their candles casting shadows that seemed to point and laugh at me
So I cursed the miners and the mine and the luck that brought me here
But most of all I cursed galena for the life I'd have to lead

Just fill that hutch then bend your back - let your muscles take the strain
Though at ten years old your body isn't built to take the pain
Then push that bitch galena up to meet the light of day
Well I don't think god meant for me to live this way

So I filled that hutch and bent my back - let my muscles take the strain
Though at ten years old this body wasn't built to take the pain
So hour after hour I pushed galena up to meet the day
I don't think god meant for me to live this way

credits

from Galena, released January 1, 2019

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Dave Gibb Wanlockhead, UK

Left Handed, Balding, Post Menopausal, Songwriting Folky from Scotland’s Highest Village.



A singer of songs and a teller of tales from the hills of Dumfries & Galloway who happily fingerpicks his way through life’s travails.

Songs funny or sad, happy or grim, meaningful or meaningless played fast or slow (sometimes both at the same time)…….He likes a giggle. ... more

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