U2: The Ballad of Springhill

As Traditional Tuesday is upon us, I’ve decided that I’d use a Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl song about the 1958 mining tragedy in Springhill, Nova Scotia. Seventy-four men perished in this disaster; however, 100 were rescued from the number 2 mine. Some of the miners were not found until a week later. Officially titled “The Ballad of Springhill,” it is also called “The Springhill Mining Disaster.”

My first encounter with this particular song was by the Highwaymen. Composers Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl recorded an a cappella version and the first popular version was recorded by the Dubliners.

U2’s version was recorded on March 16, 1987 at tribute to Luke Kelly, who sang this song with the Dubliners.