- published: 20 May 2015
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Nimrod Workman (November 5, 1895 - November 26, 1994) was an American singer, coal miner and trade unionist. His musical repertoire included traditional English and Scottish ballads, Appalachian folk songs and original compositions.
Nimrod Workman was born in Inez, Martin County, Kentucky and was named for his grandfather, a Cherokee Indian. At the age of 14 he went to work in the Howard Collieries coal mines in Mingo County WV, and he continued working as a coal miner for forty-two years until he was forced to retire due to black lung and a slipped disc.
Throughout his coal mining career he was active in union politics and United Mine Workers of America organizing. In 1920-1921 he worked alongside Mary Harris "Mother" Jones in West Virginia, and participated in the Battle of Blair Mountain uprising. In later years he advocated on behalf of black lung victims, and was able to receive union compensation for his own health problems in 1971.
Following his retirement as a miner he became known as a folk singer, with frequent performances around Appalachia as well as the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the 1982 World's Fair. In 1986 he was a recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.
There is a voice that call to us from inside
It speaks of new time coming soon
We feel the scent of revolution in the air
The winds of change are growing strong
Let's make the temple shake
Tear it down, brick by brick
Life through death the only way
There is a wall of ignorance in our way
Painted red with our blood
Let's kill the giants that stands in our way
Because their time has long since passed
Let's make the temple shake
Tear it down, brick by brick
Stand up now, be not too late
Let's make the temple shake