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Coal Town

from Boom Town by Steel City Sue

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  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    CD with artwork by the wonderful Trevor Dickinson on nice-feeling recycled paper.
    11 Tracks.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Boom Town via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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about

This song came out of a conversation with (sadly departed) local activist Peter Gray, at one of the blockades of coal ships on Newcastle Harbour - a flotilla of small paddle craft. A truce between activists and coal exporters for a day.
In the nights before these flotillas, we can barely sleep for the stream of coal ships blowing their horns and racing against time to get ahead of the interrupted schedule.
Pete and I talked about how growing up in Newcastle, we used to love the sound of the ships - before they were mostly carrying coal.
"It was a reassuring sound" he said.

lyrics

COAL TOWN - Lyrics

I used to love, the working harbour
though it harboured a disease
I used to love the sound of the ships
as they hauled all the good stuff out to sea
All day you hear em blow, like a tuba low C note
in a town of unionised industry
It was a reassuring sound until
tonnes and tonnes and tonnes more coal was
loaded up on our estuary.

I used to love
anything that rolled down the rail line
yeah I dig trains!
I used to love rattlers new and old
and any good excuse to get the big trucks off the road
But more and more coal trains are
screeching at my door
Grinding down the tracks with half our
valley on their backs
And the passenger trains wait
on the clogged lines while the dusty freight takes priority….
And it makes ‘em late

I used to love
the thriving valley floor
Sweet animals in the forest
and wine at the cellar door
I used to love
those soft and sing'y mornings
when the air is as still as cows

But it’s just a big hole now

Our land’s already too
punished and pillaged
When is enough, enough?
More power to those who speak up

credits

from Boom Town, released September 1, 2018
Su Morley - vocals, fiddle
Mike West - banjo, guitar
Katie West - double bass
Colby Earleywine - drums

license

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about

Steel City Sue image

Steel City Sue Newcastle, Australia

Steel City Sue is a musician based in Newcastle, Australia.

She plays trad fiddle, and follows it around the world to where the tunes are cranking and the dance floor's busy.

She also writes songs - about her life and her town.

Boom Town is her debut album and was recorded with Truckstop Honeymoon in Lawrence Kansas
at Mike West's 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor.
It will be released 1st Sept 2018. ... more

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