Well, I was born a coal miner's daughter

In a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler

We were poor but we had love

That's the one thing my Daddy made sure of

He shoveled coal to make a poor man's dollar



My daddy worked all night in the Van Lear coal mine

All day long in the field hoeing corn

Mama rocked the baby at night

Read the Bible by a coal oil light

And everything would start all over come break of morn



Daddy loved and raised eight kids on a coal miner's pay

Mama scrubbed our clothes on a washboard every day

I've seen her fingers bleed

To complain there was no need

She'd smile in Mama's understanding way



In the summertime we didn't have shoes to wear

But in the wintertime we'd all get a brand new pair

From a mail-order catalogue, money made by selling a hog

Daddy always seemed to get the money somewhere



I'm proud to be a coal miner's daughter

I remember well, the well where I drew water

The work we done was hard

At night we'd sleep, cause we were tired

I never thought I'd ever leave Butcher Holler



Well a lot of things have changed, since way back when

And it's so good to be back home again

Not much left but the floor

Nothing lives here anymore

Just a memory of a coal miner's daughter