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