Anthracite Fields: II. Breaker Boys

Mickey Pick-Slate Early and late Mickey Pick-Slate Early and late Mickey Mickey (Micky Pick-Slate) Early and late (Mickey) Mickey Pick-Slate Early and late That was the poor little breaker boys fate Mickey (That-was-the-poor-little-breaker-boys-fate) Mickey Mickey Pick-Slate, early and late (That was the poor little breaker boys fate) (Mickey) Mickey Pick-Slate, early and late That was the poor little breaker boys fate (Mickety pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety) (Mickety pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety) That was the poor little breaker boys fate (Kickety, kickety, kick, kick, kick, kick) (Kickety, kickety, kick, kick, kick, kick) That was the poor little breaker boys fate Eight years, nine years, ten years, twelve years Six years, seven years, thirteen, fifteen, fourteen Eleven, seventeen, eighteen, sixteen Mickey, Mickey, Mickey, Mickey (Mickey) Mickey Pick-Slate, early and late That was the poor little breaker boys fate (Mickey) That was the poor little breaker boys fate Mickey (pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety) (Mickey) pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety (Mickey) pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety Mickey That was the poor little breaker boys fate Mickey (pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety) (Mickey) pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety (Mickey) pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety (Mickey) pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety (Mickey) pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety Mickey, mickey, mickey, mickey Mickey, mickey, mickey, mickey Mickey, mickey, mickey, mickey Mickey, mickey, mickey, mickey Oh what a place You sat on a hard seat You didn't dare cushion it No matter You had to sit on that plain plank Plain plank No matter With your feet in the shoot, on a plain plank Bent over like this Bent over like this Well I'll tell you it was very scary Believe me Believe me "I don't know how in the world I got the nerve To go there in the first place You didn't dare say anything You didn't dare quit Because it was something to have a job at Eight cents an hour You didn't wear gloves You didn't dare You weren't allowed to wear gloves "Your fingernails You had none The ends of them Would be bleeding every day from work Bleeding every day Mickey Pick-Slate Early and late That was the poor little breaker boys fate (A poor simple woman at the breaker still waits) To bring home her poor little Mickey Pick-Slate Inor minor mona mai Pascor lahra bonor bai Eggs butter cheese bread Stick stock stone dead 'em up and stick 'em down Stick 'em in the old man's crown Snail, snail come outa your hole Or else I'll beat you black as coal Black as coal, black as coal Stone dead, stone dead Black as coal, black as coal Black as coal, black as coal Once a man and twice a boy Oh you are my pride and joy Twice a boy and once a man Catch me catch me if you can Catch me, catch me, catch me, catch me Mickety pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety (Catch me, catch me, catch me, catch me) Black as coal, black as coal Mickety pickety rickety tickety lickety splickety Ten little angels dressed in white Tryin' to get to heaven on the tail of a kite But the kite string broke and down they fell Instead of going to heaven the went to Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Nine little angels, eight little angels Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Seven little angels, six little angels Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven Heaven, heaven, heaven, heaven I am king of the castle. I am king I am king of the castle King of the castle. I am king I am king of the castle you are a dirty rascal *Everything in quotes excerpted and adapted from an interview with Anthony (Shorty) Slick (breaker boy) from the film "America and Lewis Hine" directed by Nina Rosenblum Daedalus Productions, Inc Other text based on children's street rhymes