BELLS OF RHYMNEY

Idris Davies was a Welsh poet, originally writing in Welsh, but later writing exclusively

in English. He is the only poet to cover significant events in the early 20th century in the

South Wales Valleys and the South Wales coalfield and literally from a perspective at the

coalface. He is now known mostly for “The Bells of Rhymney”, a ballad on the failure of

the 1926 UK General Strike and the Great Depression in the United Kingdom and their

effects on the South Wales coal mining valleys. It’s set to the pattern of the nursery rhyme

Oranges and Lemons that was set to music by Pete Seeger, and became a folk rock

standard.

Oh what will you give me

Say the sad bells of Rhymney

Is there hope for the future,

Cry the bells of Merthyr

Who made the mine owner

Say the black bells of Rhondda

And robbed the miner

Cry the grim bells of Blaina

They will plunder willy-nilly

Cry the bells of Caerphilly

They have fangs , they have teeth

Say the loud bells of Neathe

Even God is uneasy

Say the moist bells of Swansea

And what will you give me

Say the sad bells of Rhymney

Put the vandals in court

Say the bells of Newport

All would be well if, if, if

Cry the green bells of Cardiff

Why so worried, sisters, why

Sang the silver bells of Wye

And what will you give me

Say the sad bells of Rhymney

Banjo Mountain