I knew a hungry miner once. his name it was old Jim
No matter how much dough he earned. t'was not enough for him
Try as he would he never could bring home sufficient pelf
Til he cavilled with a young bloke just as hungry as himself.

They waited at the pit top e're the rising of the sun
They hated coming up again when their 8 hours were done.
As soon as they got near the shaft into the cage they'd jump
They wept every second Friday when they had to pay, their stump.

They'd jump from off the transport and they'd dash into the board
A minute lost was something that they never could afford
They hacked and tore and drilled and tore and filled their skips with coal
Perhaps the poor blokes thought of years they'd wasted on the dole.

Now skips were short at this here pit and they'd very' often cry
When they couldn't get enough of them no matter how they'd try
There came a time one awful day when there was only one
"I'll get another", said old Jim. "while you fill this here one.

The deputy he fainted all the horses pricked their ears
The shift men saw the strangest sight they' d seen for many years,
The wheelers all did step aside and the miners all jumped back,
When they saw old Jimmy dashing in with a skip upon his back.