Sid Hatfield-The Southern West Virginia Coal Wars

This song was written about a true story that happened right in my home town of Welch, WV. David Grubb and I wrote the song. We are both McDowell County natives. My daughter, Jessi Shumate, helped me sing the song and Nathan Lawson played the banjo. I played all the rest. I hope you enjoy.


Sid

In southern West Virginia back in 1921
Trouble was a brewin' and more was yet to come
It started down in Matewan about fifteen months before
Ten or more were killed that day across the valley floor

The big coal operators tried to drive the miners down
Sid Hatfield and his 6-guns left 'em lyin' on the ground
They summoned him to court that day to pay for all his sins
The mine guards were a waitin' there in Welch to do him in

(CHO)
So get back on that railroad train, and ride, Sid, ride
Get back down to Matewan while you still have time to hide
Baldwin-Felts is here in Welch and they want to gun you down
So get back on that railroad train and ride

Sid went down to the hotel and dropped off both his guns
They say he showed no fear that day he wasn't going to run
And as they headed off to court ol' Sid and his friend Ed
Were gunned down on the courthouse steps, the mine guards shot 'em dead

They say Sid was a hero of all the minin' men
He stood up for the workin' man, they needed help back then
He didn't die for glory, he didn't die for fame
He made a stand for what was right and for his family name

So get back on that railroad train and ride, Sid, ride
You're goin' back to Matewan , but it's too late to hide
You won't hear the whistle blow or the clickin' of the tracks
When they put you on that railroad train to ride

Get on that train to Glory, Sid, and ride, ride, ride
You've gone to meet your Maker on that train up in the sky
Your deeds will be remembered and, your name will never die
Get on that train to Glory, Sid, and ride


DOC © 1/10/03
By: David Grubb and Alan Johnston

Category:

Music

Tags:

• sid
• hatfield
• matewan
• west
• virginia
• mcdowell
• county
• coal
• wars

[HORNHost]

Nicely written and performed! Sid's memory deserves the honor you give it.

[cathead77]

@HORNHost Thank you much.

[silverwhistle]

PS:

We lived in a mining area of Stirlingshire during the 1980s miners' strike, and though life was tough for the mining families then,and their industry destroyed, there wasn't the hellish brutality of 1920s WVa. Even in early 20C here, there wasn't that level of violence against strikers: tanks were posted to Glasgow in 1919, but they weren't used. Your boys were heroes: I don't use that word lightly.

[cathead77]

@silverwhistle I agree with you totally about those boys being heroes. It was a brutal time no doubt. Thank you for your comments.

[silverwhistle]

A great song, and a great tribute to a brave wee lad.

[cathead77]

@silverwhistle Thanks.

[silverwhistle]

I had only known of Sid through the film 'Matewan', but recently began reading up on the miners' uprising. It's a heartbreaking story - especially when one remembers just how young Sid and Ed were - 28 and 22 respectively. (I'm old enough to be their mum!)

[cathead77]

@death9719 Thanks for watching.

[death9719]

@ekmmb really let me guess your moderately wealthy and in your free time you dress like a revolutionary and expect us to take you seriously

im an arnarcho-syndicalist

[death9719]

at least i can understand the words unlike the punk song

don't like this kind of music but love the story and think the miners were heroes