You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive

In the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky

  • In the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky
  • That's the place where I trace my bloodline
  • And it's there I read on a hillside gravestone
  • "You will never leave Harlan alive"
  • Well my grandad's dad walked down Katahrin's Mountain
  • And he asked Tillie Helton 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 with whatever bitter brew your drinking
  • And you spend your life just thinking 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 she sold out cheap and they moved out west to 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 and 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 your drinking
  • And you spend your life just thinking 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 your drinking
  • And you spend your life just thinking how to get away
  • In the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky
  • That's the place where I trace my bloodline
  • And it's there I read on a hillside gravestone
  • "You will never leave Harlan alive"
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