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It's a working man l am 00:24
And I've been down under ground 00:29
And I swear to God if l ever see the sun 00:34
Or for any length of time 00:44
I can hold it in my mind 00:49
I never again will go down under ground 00:54
At the age of sixteen years 01:03
Oh, he quarrels with his peers 01:09
Who vowed they'd never see another one 01:13
In the dark recess of the mines 01:22
Where you age before your time 01:28
And the coal dust lies heavy on your lungs 01:33
It's a working man l am 01:43
And I've been down under ground 01:47
And I swear to God if l ever see the sun 01:53
Or for any length of time 02:02
I can hold it in my mind 02:07
I never again will go down under ground 02:12
At the age of sixty four 02:23
Oh, he'll greet you at the door 02:27
And he'll gently lead you by the arm 02:32
Through the dark recess of the mines 02:41
Oh, he'll take you back in time 02:47
And he'll tell you of the hardships that were had 02:52
It's a working man l am 03:01
And I've been down under ground 03:06
And I swear to God if l ever see the sun 03:12
Or for any length of time 03:21
I can hold it in my mind 03:26
I never again will go down under ground 03:32
It's a working man l am 03:41
And I've been down under ground 03:46
And I swear to God if l ever see the sun 03:51
Or for any length of time 04:01
I can hold it in my mind 04:05
I never again will go down under ground 04:10
It's a working man l am 04:21
And I've been down under ground 04:26
And I swear to God if l ever see the sun 04:31
Or for any length of time 04:40
I can hold it in my mind 04:45
I never again will go down under ground 04:51
God, I never again will go down under ground 05:00
05:18

Working Man

By
Rita MacNeil
Viewed
124
Learn this song

Lyrics:

[English]

It's a working man l am

And I've been down under ground

And I swear to God if l ever see the sun

Or for any length of time

I can hold it in my mind

I never again will go down under ground

At the age of sixteen years

Oh, he quarrels with his peers

Who vowed they'd never see another one

In the dark recess of the mines

Where you age before your time

And the coal dust lies heavy on your lungs

It's a working man l am

And I've been down under ground

And I swear to God if l ever see the sun

Or for any length of time

I can hold it in my mind

I never again will go down under ground

At the age of sixty four

Oh, he'll greet you at the door

And he'll gently lead you by the arm

Through the dark recess of the mines

Oh, he'll take you back in time

And he'll tell you of the hardships that were had

It's a working man l am

And I've been down under ground

And I swear to God if l ever see the sun

Or for any length of time

I can hold it in my mind

I never again will go down under ground

It's a working man l am

And I've been down under ground

And I swear to God if l ever see the sun

Or for any length of time

I can hold it in my mind

I never again will go down under ground

It's a working man l am

And I've been down under ground

And I swear to God if l ever see the sun

Or for any length of time

I can hold it in my mind

I never again will go down under ground

God, I never again will go down under ground

...

Vocabulary in this song:

Vocabulary Meanings

working

/ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/

B1
  • adjective
  • - engaged in work or a job

man

/mæn/

A1
  • noun
  • - an adult male human

ground

/ɡraʊnd/

A2
  • noun
  • - the solid surface of the earth

sun

/sʌn/

A1
  • noun
  • - the star that provides light and heat to the earth

mind

/maɪnd/

B1
  • noun
  • - the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences

age

/eɪdʒ/

A2
  • noun
  • - the length of time that a person has lived or a thing has existed

dark

/dɑːrk/

A2
  • adjective
  • - having little or no light

coal

/koʊl/

B1
  • noun
  • - a black or dark brown combustible mineral used as fuel

hardship

/ˈhɑːrdʃɪp/

B2
  • noun
  • - severe suffering or privation

lead

/liːd/

B1
  • verb
  • - to guide or direct

greet

/ɡriːt/

A2
  • verb
  • - to say hello to someone

quarrel

/ˈkwɔːrəl/

B2
  • verb
  • - to have an angry argument

time

/taɪm/

A1
  • noun
  • - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events

Grammar:

  • If I ever see the sun

    ➔ Conditional sentence (First conditional)

    ➔ The phrase uses "if" to introduce a condition that depends on the action "see the sun."

  • And I swear to God

    ➔ Use of phrase for emphasis and oath

    ➔ This phrase expresses a strong personal commitment or sincerity, often in a solemn or serious context.

  • I've been down underground

    ➔ Present perfect tense indicating experience or a state up to now

    ➔ The phrase uses the present perfect "have been" to describe an experience of working underground that may influence the present.

  • I never again will go down underground

    ➔ Future intention with "will" in negative form for emphasis

    ➔ The phrase uses "will" with "never" to strongly negate the action of going underground again in the future.

  • And the coal dust lies heavy on your lungs

    ➔ Simple present tense to describe a habitual state or condition

    ➔ The sentence uses the simple present "lies" to indicate a persistent situation affecting the miners' lungs.

  • God, I never again will go down under ground

    ➔ Use of "never again" with "will" to emphasize a firm decision

    ➔ The phrase combines "never again" with "will" to strongly assert that the speaker decisively will not return underground.