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about

Written by Martyn Joseph & Pete Brookes
Published MCPS/PRS/Copyright Control

lyrics

She was always a very pretty lady
He had always caught her eye
They were married in a mining valley
And swore they’d be together until the day that they died

Twenty years later with the coal all gone
And golden lamp in his hand
He stands at the bar with a pint in his hand and his friends
They all agree together that they don’t understand

Meanwhile little David takes his books off to school
And learns of the times gone past
And when it comes to questions he puts up his hand
There’s something that he just wants to ask

Please sir can you give me an answer
Please sir you know it doesn’t seem fair
‘Cos last night as I walked through the door
I thought I saw my father crying sat in his chair

She stood there with her arms around him and she said
She promised him a better day
But after twenty years of working underground
It’s not just your job that they take away

Sometimes he’d walk to the edge of his world
And stare at the valley below
He thought about leaving maybe running away
But knew there was nowhere to go

Please sir can you give me an answer
Please sir you know I just can’t see
Please sir when you make these decisions
Do you have a vision of what happens to me

Life goes on in a mining valley
But the young men leave for a better wage
And every day he coughs and he splutters
He knows love is the reason he stays
He knows love is the reason he stays

Meanwhile little David takes his books off to school
And learns of the times gone past
And when it comes to questions he puts up his and
There’s something that he just wants to ask

Please sir can you give me an answer
Please sir you know it doesn’t seem fair
‘Cos last night as I walked through the door
I thought I saw my daddy crying sat in his chair

Please sir can you give me and answer
Please sir you know I just can’t see
Please sir when you make these decisions
Do you have a vision of what happens to me
Do you know what happens to the likes of me?
Please take a look, take a look now
Take a look and see

credits

from Faith, Folk & Anarchy (Reissue), released June 16, 2017

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all rights reserved

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about

Tom Robinson image

Tom Robinson London, UK

Tom Robinson (b.1950) is a UK songwriter & broadcaster first known in the 70s as an anti-racist and LGBT campaigner. He released 19 albums between 1975-2001 with various bands and has co-written songs with Elton John, Peter Gabriel, Dan Hartman and Manu Katché. He's an award-winning presenter at BBC Radio 6 Music, and released Only The Now (his first album in 19 years) in October 2015. ... more

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