Borrowing words from DH Lawrence’s 1913 novel, this song tells a tale of an Eastwood miner struggling with his relationship and life in general. He takes to alcohol as an escape from the pressures and hardship of a working life in the pit. The song refers to the gin-pits quoted by Lawrence, which used horses or donkeys to power the pit-heads. Hell Row where the miners’ cottages on Greenhill Lane in Eastwood - “There lived the colliers who worked in the little gin-pits two fields away. The brook ran under the alder-trees, scarcely soiled by these small mines, whose coal was drawn to the surface by donkeys that plodded wearily in a circle round a gin” (Lawrence, 1913)
lyrics
Sons & Lovers (Kerry/Lawrence)
Hell Row was broken cottages by the brook on Greenhill Lane
Colliers and lovers worked in gin pits fields away
They worked in gin pits fields away, Lord
Worked in gin pits fields away
The stream ran under alder trees some spoiled by mines within
The coal brought to the surface by beasts circlin’ round a gin
By beasts circlin’ round a gin, Lord
By beasts circlin’ round a gin
Chorus
I’m your son I’m not her lover, Lord
Hell Row has broken deep my soul
He realised how hard it was for his wife not to waste
His sympathy was quickened by his penitence and haste
By his penitence and haste, Lord
By his penitence and haste
And he come home from the pit that night and stayed the evening still
For he could not stay at home, was almost sober still
He was almost sober still, Lord
He was almost sober still
Chorus
The country it was dark and still and stars shone up in place
Between the terror and the void was no time only space
There was no time only space, Lord
There was no time only space
And she were all that held him up him sen amidst this mast
“I’m you son, I’m not her lover Lord” he said his mouth set fast
Oh he said his mouth set fast, Lord
Yeah, he said his mouth set fast
credits
from Singing The Seam,
released July 2, 2019
Roger Kerry / David Herbert Lawrence
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