I was born in West Virginia
Where the land is black with coal
For a man to feed his family
It takes twelve hours a day a diggin' in a dirty black hole
Way down in the bottom of a mountain
Way down in the bottom of a hole
Way down in the bottom of a mountain
I'm diggin' and a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal
Some men give their wives jewelry
Some men give their wives gold
But all I can give to my sweet woman
Are the few dollars I make from diggin' out the dirty black coal
Way down in the bottom of a mountain
Way down in the bottom of a hole
Way down in the bottom of a mountain
I'm diggin' and a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal
I draw script for most of my money
I never see a lot of that
I work all week and go to church on Sunday
Well the preacher gonna get what's left when they pass the hat
Way down in the bottom of a mountain
Way down in the bottom of a hole
Way down in the bottom of a mountain
I'm diggin' and a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal
I'm diggin' and a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal