Craig Bancoff’s song for hope – West Virginia coal-mine disaster

In an effort to show support for the families of loved ones lost in the West Virginia coal-mine disaster that struck April 5, singer-songwriter Craig Bancoff released a rough-cut of a song he wrote about his roots in a Western Pennsylvania coal-mining town.

“A few years ago I wrote a song about a coal-mining explosion,” Bancoff wrote on his Web site. “This story was passed down to me.”

As of Friday afternoon — four days after the West Virginia mine blast — at least 25 coal-miners were killed, with some 18 bodies still inside the mine.

The cause for the explosion is still unknown.

Bancoff’s song is called “Angels Love Coal Mines,” and it’s available to both stream and download for free on his Web site, www.craigbancoff.com.

The story goes: “After a major accident in a mine, all the mothers in the town told the children that angels loved coal mines so much that they took their daddy’s to be with them. This song was written from a child’s perspective,” Bancoff wrote.

“Angels Love Coal Mines” will also be on the track-listing for his up-and-coming album, “Quakertown.”