From The Mine To The Light -The Story of Joseph and Florence Dawson

[Rhythmic vocal delivery, steady 75 BPM, clear phrasing, strong timing] This is the story of my grandparents, Joseph and Florence Dawson… two ordinary people who lived extraordinary lives… their story began beneath the ground… and their legacy still lives on. [Verse 1] Let me tell you where we’re from Black coal shaped their lives Two mining families miles apart Same hard working lives Miner’s daughter, miner’s son Never knew ahead Different towns, same working world Earned by hands instead [Refrain] From the mine to the light Coal dust in our veins Built with hope and honest work Their legacy remains [Verse 2] Born in Torbanlee they say Where the engines rolled Son of a miner, union man Strong and brave and bold Work grew thin, no wages there He rode that bike alone Torbanlee to Colliery To find a working home [Refrain] From the mine to the light Coal dust in our veins Built with hope and honest work Their legacy remains [Verse 3] Oakey town is where she grew With miners all around Lost her mum at four years old But strength is what she found Hard days came and years rolled on She never broke or fell She stood her ground, kept moving on And carried life so well [Refrain] From the mine to the light Coal dust in our veins Built with hope and honest work Their legacy remains [Verse 4] Mining towns and working lives Always crossed somehow Toowoomba town, May twenty-six They made their vows Two families stood side by side A future now begun Miner’s daughter, miner’s son Two lives made one [Refrain] From the mine to the light Coal dust in our veins Built with hope and honest work Their legacy remains [Verse 5] Whistle blew each working day Life began at dawn Five children filled their small home But love was always strong No riches came, just shift and work And hands that never quit They built a life from nothing much But gave everything in it [Final Refrain] From the mine to the light Coal dust in our veins Built with hope and honest work Their legacy remains [Final Line] [spoken or slow sung] I’m proud to tell this story now… so their memory still remains...