I'm sorta siding withpurplemnkey because it does make a lot of sense.
However, said that there's a Cumberland Rhode Island. During the American Revolution Rhode Islanders were mostly rogues and theives and the British went after them because they were smugglers. A mine, being an underground thing, could also stand for smuggling business.
I don't think my theories likely because 1) The Dead didn't usually write music based on things so long ago (I think) and 2) The whole scenario that the first theory puts forth matches most of the song's words better historically speaking , (like "Union dues")
I'm sorta siding withpurplemnkey because it does make a lot of sense.
However, said that there's a Cumberland Rhode Island. During the American Revolution Rhode Islanders were mostly rogues and theives and the British went after them because they were smugglers. A mine, being an underground thing, could also stand for smuggling business. I don't think my theories likely because 1) The Dead didn't usually write music based on things so long ago (I think) and 2) The whole scenario that the first theory puts forth matches most of the song's words better historically speaking , (like "Union dues")