Biography:
The Folksmen were a fictional folk trio from the film A Mighty Wind (2003). They were a parody of popular folk combos of the early 1960s such as The Kingston Trio and The Brothers Four.
The Folksmen were played by Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer, better known as another fictional group: Spinal Tap.
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Other songs:
(Played quickly with standard Folk strum pattern.)
[Intro]
The intro is two measures of picking on Dm, but up above the
12th fret, like this: (x x 12 14 15 13)
Then the song goes into a repetition of [Dm], [C], [Am], [Dm] holding
at the end of the chorus on [Dm] for a three part harmony of
"Blood on the Coal," with the last "Coal" dropping to [C] and
then ending out on [Dm] as outlined below.
[Verse 1]
It was [Dm] April 27th, in the [C] year of '91,
'bout a [Am] mile below the surface in the [Dm] warm Kentucky sun.
The [Dm] late shift was ending and the [C] early shift was late,
and the [Am] foreman ate his dinner from a [Dm] dirty tin plate.
[Chorus]
[Dm] Blood on the tracks, [C] blood in the mine,
[Am] Brothers and sisters what a [Dm] terrible time.
[Dm] Old '97 went [C] in the wrong hole,
Now in [Am] mine number 60, there's [Dm] blood on the coal,
[Dm] Blood On the Coal,[Dm] BLOOD ON THE CO--[C]--AL....[Dm]
[Verse 2]
(same as verse 1)
The slag pits was steamin', it was 7:25,
Every miner worked the coalface, every one of them alive.
Train came round the corner, you could hear the trestle groan,
But the switcher wasn't listenin', so he left the switch alone.
[Chorus]
[Dm] Blood on the tracks, [C] blood in the mine,
[Am] Brothers and sisters what a [Dm] terrible time.
[Dm] Old '97 went [C] in the wrong hole,
Now in [Am] mine number 60, there's [Dm] blood on the coal,
[Dm] Blood On the Coal,[Dm] BLOOD ON THE CO--[C]--AL....[Dm]
[Verse 3]
(same as verse 1)
Well the walls began to tremblin', the men began to yell,
You could hear that lonesome whistle, like an echo out of...well.*
They dropped their picks and shovels as to safety they did run,
For to stay amongst the living in the year of '91.
[Chorus]
[Dm] Blood on the tracks, [C] blood in the mine,
[Am] Brothers and sisters what a [Dm] terrible time.
[Dm] Old '97 went [C] in the wrong hole,
Now in [Am] mine number 60, there's [Dm] blood on the coal,
[Dm] Blood On the Coal,[Dm] BLOOD ON THE CO--[C]--AL....[Dm]
[Verse 4]
(same as verse 1)
Now an Irishman named Murphy said, "I'll stop that iron horse,"
As he stood athwart its passage--it crushed him dead, of course.
And I hope he hears the irony, whene'er this tale is told,
But the train that took his life was burnin' good Kentucky coal (HEY!)
[Chorus]
[Dm] Blood on the tracks, [C] blood in the mine,
[Am] Brothers and sisters what a [Dm] terrible time.
[Dm] Old '97 went [C] in the wrong hole,
Now in [Am] mine number 60, there's [Dm] blood on the coal,
[Dm] Blood On the Coal,[Dm] BLOOD ON THE CO--[C]--AL....[Dm]
*The Folksmen hold out on [Dm] here instead of saying "Hell" and
play an extra two measures over the [Dm] with the 2nd guitar playing
a sort of dissident sounding form on [Dm] to illustrate Hell, I guess.
[Intro]
The intro is two measures of picking on Dm, but up above the
12th fret, like this: (x x 12 14 15 13)
Then the song goes into a repetition of [Dm], [C], [Am], [Dm] holding
at the end of the chorus on [Dm] for a three part harmony of
"Blood on the Coal," with the last "Coal" dropping to [C] and
then ending out on [Dm] as outlined below.
[Verse 1]
It was [Dm] April 27th, in the [C] year of '91,
'bout a [Am] mile below the surface in the [Dm] warm Kentucky sun.
The [Dm] late shift was ending and the [C] early shift was late,
and the [Am] foreman ate his dinner from a [Dm] dirty tin plate.
[Chorus]
[Dm] Blood on the tracks, [C] blood in the mine,
[Am] Brothers and sisters what a [Dm] terrible time.
[Dm] Old '97 went [C] in the wrong hole,
Now in [Am] mine number 60, there's [Dm] blood on the coal,
[Dm] Blood On the Coal,[Dm] BLOOD ON THE CO--[C]--AL....[Dm]
[Verse 2]
(same as verse 1)
The slag pits was steamin', it was 7:25,
Every miner worked the coalface, every one of them alive.
Train came round the corner, you could hear the trestle groan,
But the switcher wasn't listenin', so he left the switch alone.
[Chorus]
[Dm] Blood on the tracks, [C] blood in the mine,
[Am] Brothers and sisters what a [Dm] terrible time.
[Dm] Old '97 went [C] in the wrong hole,
Now in [Am] mine number 60, there's [Dm] blood on the coal,
[Dm] Blood On the Coal,[Dm] BLOOD ON THE CO--[C]--AL....[Dm]
[Verse 3]
(same as verse 1)
Well the walls began to tremblin', the men began to yell,
You could hear that lonesome whistle, like an echo out of...well.*
They dropped their picks and shovels as to safety they did run,
For to stay amongst the living in the year of '91.
[Chorus]
[Dm] Blood on the tracks, [C] blood in the mine,
[Am] Brothers and sisters what a [Dm] terrible time.
[Dm] Old '97 went [C] in the wrong hole,
Now in [Am] mine number 60, there's [Dm] blood on the coal,
[Dm] Blood On the Coal,[Dm] BLOOD ON THE CO--[C]--AL....[Dm]
[Verse 4]
(same as verse 1)
Now an Irishman named Murphy said, "I'll stop that iron horse,"
As he stood athwart its passage--it crushed him dead, of course.
And I hope he hears the irony, whene'er this tale is told,
But the train that took his life was burnin' good Kentucky coal (HEY!)
[Chorus]
[Dm] Blood on the tracks, [C] blood in the mine,
[Am] Brothers and sisters what a [Dm] terrible time.
[Dm] Old '97 went [C] in the wrong hole,
Now in [Am] mine number 60, there's [Dm] blood on the coal,
[Dm] Blood On the Coal,[Dm] BLOOD ON THE CO--[C]--AL....[Dm]
*The Folksmen hold out on [Dm] here instead of saying "Hell" and
play an extra two measures over the [Dm] with the 2nd guitar playing
a sort of dissident sounding form on [Dm] to illustrate Hell, I guess.
The Forest Range (...)
The Forum Walter (...)
The Four Horseme (...)
The Four Just Me (...)
The Four Lads