The Pound A Week Rise

Come all you colliers who work down the mineFrom Scotland to south Wales from Teesdale to TyneI'll sing you a song about the pound a week riseAnd the men who were fooled by the government's liesAnd it's down you goDown below, JackWhere you never see the skiesAnd you're workin' in a dungeonFor your pound a week riseIn 19 and 60 a few years agoThe mineworkers' leaders to Lord Robbins did goSayin' "We work very hard, every day we risk our lives,And we ask you here and now for a pound a week rise."Well up spoke Lord Robbins and he made this decreeHe said "When the out-put rises, with you I will agreeI'll raise up all your wages, I'll give to you fair payFor I once a miner and I worked hard in my day"The miners they went home, they worked hard and wellTheir lungs filled with coal dust in the bosom of hellThe out-put rose by fifteen, eighteen percent and moreAnd when two years had passed and gone it rose about a scoreThe miners they went, to get their hard earned prizeThey asked Lord Robbins for their pound a week riseRobbins wouldn't give a pound he wouldn't give ten bobHe gave 'em seven and six and saing "Now get back to your jobs!"So come all you colliers, take heed what I sayDon't believe Lord Robbins when he says he'll give fair payHe'll tell you to work hard and make the out- put riseBut you'll get pie in the sky instead of a pound a week rise