Murdered by the state, an act of class warfare 'FEATHERSTONE MASSACRE' скачать в хорошем качестве

Murdered by the state, an act of class warfare 'FEATHERSTONE MASSACRE'

With huge thanks to Pete Stone & Paul Windmill for asking me to write this song and to Ian Clayton for his research. Filmed & directed by Jim Malkin at The Bradley Arms, Featherstone, late May 2023. ___________________________________________ FEATHERSTONE MASSACRE In Featherstone, West Yorkshire, where the coal came out the ground A massacre was committed, by foot soldiers of the Crown But the hardship and the hunger was plain for all to see Long before that evening, in 1893 The lockout across the county meant no union man could earn As they bosses slashed their wages, the pit wheels did not turn But scabs loaded up coal wagons bound for Bradford town And word of this betrayal quickly made the rounds And on it seems they’d crush us down, as men of little worth, As if we were not fit to live, and had no right on earth. That summer afternoon, of September ‘93 The miners came did assemble at Ackton colliery They asked the man in charge there, known as Holiday How he could hire scab workers whilst in dispute of pay He called upon the army to clear these men away 28 foot soldiers arrived late in the day They were led by Captain Barker and the order was made plain Fire upon these miners, we care not if we maim The bullets hit the crowd and two young men’s lives were lost Because the bosses protect profits at any bloody cost By the barrels of their rifles they took our brothers down These murders were committed by foot soldiers of the crown The town banded together to grieve the murdered men And swore they would remember and always honour them So to Duggan and to Gibbs, your deaths were not in vain This spirit of this township forever changed that day. And on it seems they’d crush us down, as men of little worth, But it’s them who are not fit to rule, and had no right on earth.