Quecreek Flood - Anaïs Mitchell

It was late in July

At the Quecreek coal mine

When the water came rolling down

As black as bad blood

To where nine good men stood

Shuddering, shivering

And shouting for deliverance

Sure they would drown

And safe above ground

The boss paced around

Surveying the scene of the flood

After chasing away

The UMWA

So inspections were cheap

He didn’t lose sleep

He just stood in the sun

What could we have done

He said this was an act of God

And the President came

From his party campaign

To shake every hero’s right hand

After slashing the funds

For the miners' black lungs

And the regulations

God bless our nation

He said united we stand

And the anchor girl cried

When the miner’s survived

She lauded her god in his glory

And the tired camera man

Packed up the van

And they wore the same frown

As they drove out of town

Where they found the next sellable story

And we who were raised

By invisible hands

And we who were raised

On government lies

The prodigal children

Of the promised land

Who’s gonna open our eyes