This song tells the story of Kangy King's first digging trip down St. Cuthberts Swallet, a particularly difficult and complex Mendip cave system which became the sole reason for the Bristol Exploration Club's existence!
I wanted to go down a cave
And now my ambitions I've got 'em.
In Cuthbert's I am all the rave,
At the dig in the hole in the bottom.
Chorus:
Digging away, digging all day,
Dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig, dig.
I only went out on a spree,
Thinking to sup and be off, when
I encountered a crowd, BEC,
All lewd and licentious and tough men.
Chorus.
They said - "Young man it will go,
If you carry these ladders and drop 'em.
Into a hole that we know,
That's not really too much of a problem.
Chorus.
Now the entrance pitch is divine,
So long as you're skinny and narrow.
The walls are all covered in slime
From the drippings of Walt's old wheelbarrow.
Chorus.
We continued on down the Arête,
The shaky old ladders appalling.
But, as the other blokes said ?
"It's a ruddy sight better than falling."
Chorus.
Two ladders and then the Wire Rift,
Were next on the menu they brought me.
To traverse I needed the gift,
That my ape-like ancestors had taught me.
Chorus.
Mud Hall and Stal Chamber too,
And Boulder with boulders abundant.
My mates disappeared from my view
As they hurried to show me what fun meant.
Chorus:
A hole at the end gave the clue,
Leading to Ev'rest and Gravel.
We slid down the scree in a queue,
More or less in the right line of travel.
Chorus.
I staggered along in a daze,
Dimly noting the Sewer in passing.
They'd knotted me up in a maze,
When I suddenly noticed the splashing.
Chorus.
A wall immense and quite tall,
Traversed the passage we trod in.
Blocking the flow in the hall,
And changing the level of Oggin.
Chorus.
At the side stood a large bucket wheel,
Fixed in it's bearings by packing.
This fiendish device seemed to deal,
With the drive of a pump, double-acting.
Chorus.
So sloshing the water about,
It pumped from one place to another.
A muddy great hole was washed out,
Without any effort or bother.
Chorus.
A spade all corroded and rough,
I was given to my consternation.
They invited me kindly enough,
To get digging and start exploration.
Chorus.
So now I'm a digger of note,
To be found at my post every Tuesday.
On cave exploration I dote-
I'm sure I'll be digging till Doomsday.
Chorus.
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