You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive

In the deep, dark hills of Eastern Kentucky
 That's the place where I trace my bloodline
 And it's there that I read on a hillside gravestone
 "You will never leave Harlan alive"
 Well my Granddaddy's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountain
 And he asked Nelly Hassell to be his bride
 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 with whatever bitter brew you're drinking
 And you spend your life thinking of how to get away
 No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
 'Til a man from the northeast arrived
 Waving hundred dollar bills, he said "I'll pay you for your minerals"
 But he never left Harlan alive
 Well Granny sold out cheap and they moved out west of Pineville
 To a farm where Big Richland River winds
 And I 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
 Well he went and dug for Harlan coal
 and he sent the money back to Granny
 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 just thinking of how to get away
 And 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 diggin' coal from the bottom of your grave
 In the deep, dark hills of Eastern Kentucky
 That's the place where I trace my bloodline
 And it's there that I read on a hillside gravestone
 "You will never leave Harlan alive"