1997. The Auchengeich Disaster (Norman Buchan)

Norman Buchan wrote this song to commemorate the 47 miners killed at Auchengeich Colliery in Lanarkshire on the 18th of September 1959, using a tune known as "Skippin Barfit Thro The Heather." It has been recorded by D**k Gaughan and Anna Coogan among others. Lyrics and chords: Am In Auchengeich there stauns a pit The wheel above it is nae turnin' ...... Em ... Am .... Em For on a grey September morn ...... Am ...... Em ... Dm ..... Am The fires o' Hell below were burnin'. Tho' in below the coal lay rich It's richer noo for aa that burnin' For forty-seven brave men lie deid Tae wives and sweethearts ne'er returnin'. The seams are thick in Auchengeich The coal below is black an' glistenin' But, och, the cost is faur ower dear For human lives there is nae reckonin'. Oh, coal is black an' coal is reid An' coal is rich ayont a treasure. It's black wi' wark and reid wi' bluid. Its richness noo in lives we measure. Faur better that we'd never wrocht A thousand years o' wark an' grievin' For the coal is black like the mournin' shroud The women left behind are weavin'. In Auchengeich there stands a pit The wheel above it is nae turnin' For on a grey September morn The fires o' Hell below were burnin'. You can see a playlist of my mining songs here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=PLCF909DA14CE415DF Lyrics and chords of many of my songs are no longer available, as my website has expired. I am currently posting lyrics to the information panels on all my videos and those that are too long to post in full will be found on my new website: https://raymondsfolkpage.wordpress.com

Added 29 Jul 2026