“Caged” - a song about coal mines
This is a song that I wrote while I was playing in a bluegrass band called The Gage Brothers.
Story Pairing
I wrote this in WV while staying and playing at one of my favorite venues ever, The Purple Fiddle. I have written a number of tunes there but this one that I always think of first.
There is a trail there that used to be a railroad track used to haul coal. It’s now just a path that leads to Douglas Falls among other things, and is a lovely walk along the Blackwater river. While on it you will pass these large coke ovens that were used in the mining process. They are now monuments to a time passed. It’s an amazing chunk of history that Appalachia has, amazing, but also sad and terrible what was done to humans helping to run our nation. I won’t go into it all right here, but there was a time our military actually was bombing coal miners and people standing up for proper working conditions…. I would encourage you to do some reading on it. Fascinating, terrible, and a piece of history that shouldn’t be lost.
One story around British coal mining that really stuck in my head was around the canary, a small songbird part of the finch family. Breathing is always something to keep in mind when heading down into a dangerous hole. What miners used to have among their tools was a small bird cage often holding a canary, an outspoken songbird. Because of it’s reduced size and of course smaller lungs, when they would hit a pocket with high carbon monoxide or other toxic gas levels the bird would pass out, sometimes even die. That was a sign that the miner needed to get out of there to a safer space.
The idea of using a song to save your life or the idea of a song stopping to signify danger or death really sat with me and ultimately turned into this song.
We recorded it as The Gage Brothers and it’s a special song for me. Chris Volpe is on the recording, a dear friend who has passed and one of the greatest musicians I’ve ever known. Hearing his voice on this recording takes my breath away, and makes the song hit harder than I ever intended.
Song Structure
C Shape.
Chords:
Verse - C/F/C/F/C/G
Chorus - C/G/F/C
I wrote this originally on a mandolin
Voice Memos
I oddly don’t have any early recordings of this one. I looked around through my digital files but they are a mess. I learned how to get a little more organized with a job I started in 2017… so.. never stop learning or whatever.
No Notebook Page
2016 ish
Lyrics
Sing for me bird as you swing in your cage
You're the only thing keeping us alive
Sun has long set and the stars aren't out yet
But I swear that you and I will see the light
Nothing here to do but follow in these shoes as a coal miners only son
Picked me up a spade, I went walking down the grade
End of my life has begun
Sing for me bird as you swing in your cage
You're the only thing keeping us alive
Sun has long set and the stars aren't out yet
But I swear that you and I will see the light
Trapped in this hole, I've come to call my home
I've been picking to stay up at night
While she sings a tune that I named after you
Only thing that ever sounded right
Sing for me bird as you swing in your cage
You're the only thing keeping us alive
Sun has long set and the stars aren't out yet
But I swear that you and I will see the light
Names on the page to go down today, cling to my first sign corral
We set in routine, mine to her, hers to me
All that we have for now
Sing for me bird as you swing in your cage
You're the only thing keeping us alive
Sun has long set and the stars aren't out yet
But I swear that you and I will see the light