Mother of the Village

We all thought we'd be there for the rest of our lives
But of course it didn't turn out like that

We knew we'd lost
Well at least it's over we can get back to normal
But there was never going to be normal

Nothing will ever replace it because it's the end of an era
That is gone completely
I don't think it will ever return at all to these valleys

I remember all the shops there used to be in the village
The pubs'd be full on payday
And you begin to realise what you mean by "the death of a village"
And about the pits being "the mother of the village"
And all these phrases that sound all very romantic
But they're not romantic at all, they're true

I loved the mining industry and I wouldn't have missed it, not for anything
And I'm so sad and sorry to see that it's gone