I first
heard Hazel Dickens when I first saw John Sayles'
movie Matewan about
the coal miner strikes of the 1920's. There is a scene where one of the
young miners is killed by operatives of the Baldwin Felts Agency. At his
funeral, Hazel Dickens' character sings a moving mountain dirge that has since
brought me to tears every time I hear it. It's beautiful. I hope
that you enjoy it. The song, "Gathering Storm," was written expressly for this film by Mason Daring, an American musician.
The lyrics to the song are here:
Deliver us from the gathering storm
Unworthy
though we are
Leave us
living safe and warm
And
sheltered in your arms.
Fallen out
of grace are we.
Sin us never
more to thee
Deliver us
from the gathering storm
Unworthy
though we are.
Deliver us
from the shadow
And brighten
us our night
O lift us
out of the valley of sin
And leave
our path in light.
Fallen out
of grace are we
Sin us never
more to thee.
Deliver us
from the gathering storm
Unworthy
though we are.
This seems rare.
Her song "Hills of Galilee" is stunning. It could make you cry.
