Dark as a Dungeon

DESCRIPTION: "Come all you young fellows so young and so fine, And seek not your fortune in a dark dreary mine." The singer describes how a miner's life slowly kills a man, twisting his soul and turning his blood black. He hopes to turn to coal when he dies
AUTHOR: Merle Travis
EARLIEST DATE: 1946 (recorded by author)
KEYWORDS: work hardtimes poverty mining death warning
FOUND IN: US
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Lomax-FolkSongsOfNorthAmerica 155, "Dark as a Dungeon" (1 text, 1 tune)
Botkin-TreasuryOfSouthernFolklore, p. 729, "Dark as a Dungeon" (1 text, 1 tune)
Greenway-AmericanFolksongsOfProtest, p. 172, "Dark as a Dungeon" (1 text, 1 tune)
Green-OnlyAMiner-RecordedCoalMiningSongs, pp. 279-281, "Two by Travis": p. 284, "Dark as a Dungeon" (1 text, 1 tune); additional verse on p. 290
DT, DARKDUNG
Roud #6392
RECORDINGS:
Charlie Gore, "Dark as a Dungeon" (King 4879, c. 1957)
Grandpa Jones, "Dark as a Dungeon" (King 896, 1950)
Maddox Bros. & Rose, "Dark as a Dungeon" (4-Star 1540, 1956)
Pete Seeger w. Robert DeCormier, "Dark as a Dungeon" (on HootenannyTonight)
Merle Travis, "Dark as a Dungeon" (Capitol 48001, 1947; on 78 album "Folk Songs of the Hills", Capitol AD 50; rec. 1946)
File: LoF155

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography