And it's there I read on a hillside gravestone
You'll never leave Harlan alive.
Oh, my grandfather's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountains
Where he took a pretty girl to be his bride.
He said "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler
Or we'll never leave Harlan alive."
Where the sun comes up, about ten in the morning
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup whatever bitter brew you're drinking
And you spend your life just thinking 'bout how to get away.
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
Until a man from the Northeast arrived.
Waving hundred dollar bills said I'll pay for your minerals
He never left Harlan alive.
Grandma sold out cheap and they moved out west of Pineville
To a farm where big Richland River winds,
and I'll bet they danced them a jig
and they laughed and sang a new song,
"Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive?"
But the times, they got hard and tobacco wasn't selling
And old Granddad knew what he'd do to survive.
He went and dug for Harlan coal, sent the money back to Grandma
But he never left Harlan alive.
Where the sun comes up, about ten in the morning
And the sun goes down, about three in the day,
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinking
And you spend your life digging coal from the bottom of the grave
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Mmmmm you'll never leave harlin alive
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Mmmmm you'll never leave harlin alive