Monday 14 September 2015

Jez Lowe - Last of the Widows

This weekend past, was the Easington Colliery Heritage Day, 12th September 2015.

We had intended to go along, but unfortunately the weather stopped us, it was pouring with rain for most of the day.
I'm sure the rain didn't put most people off of going though, and hopefully all of the hard work involved to organise this event didn't go unappreciated.

As we didn't attended the Heritage Day event, I don't have any photos from it to share, but I've had this Jez Lowe song in my head for several months.
In case you don't know, Jez Lowe is a folk singer songwriter, and Last of the Widows is about the mining pit disaster in Easington Colliery in May 1951 that killed 83 men.
It felt appropriate to publish this blog post now - it's been in my draft folder for ages.

Obviously because this song is about the miners and their widows, it's not an uplifting song, but it is full of emotion, and beautifully sung by Jez Lowe, so I hope you like it.




Jez Lowe - Last of the Widows

The last of the widows of the Duck Bill seam
Is lying tonight with her young man again
They're clinging fast together soothing sighs and pain
And coaxing back the love their loss survived

The last of the widows of the Duck Bills flare
Is brushing back dust from his strong brown hair
And he's stretched on her bosom with his love laid fair
And making up for time fate stole away

Parting words were never spoken last kisses never broken
She never even watched him walk away
Now the last of the widows of the Duck Bill's seam
Reached out and took his hand again today

The last of the widows of the Duck Bill's fire
Stood bleak and bewildered as the count climbed higher
Then she wept for the world across a newsroom wire
When she heard his name called out across the crowd

But when the world had turned to leave eighty women turned to grieve
And cursed their compensation through their tears
Now the last of the widows of the Duck Bills seam
Can close her eyes and wipe away the years

The last of the widows of the Duck Bill's flame
Is free of the lonely nights of bitterness and blame
And there's some who'll remember as they speak her name
The reason why she lived so long alone

And in the fields above the dangers of Gresford, Trimdon Grange
Haswell, Hartley Beam and Markham Main
The last of the widows of the Duck Bill's seam
Is walking with her miner lad again


Are you a fan of Jez Lowe?

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