Oh say, did you see him? It was early this morning
He passed all your houses on his way to the call
He was tall, he was slender and his dark eyes so tender
His occupation was mining, West Virginia his home

It was early this morning, I was feeding the children
Ben Mosly came running to bring us the news
Number 8 is all flooded, many men are in danger
We don't know their number, but we fear they're all doomed

So I picked up the baby and I left all the others
To comfort each other and to pray for their own
There's Timmy, 14, and there's John, not much younger
Their own time soon will be coming to go down the black hole

If I had the money to do more than just feed them
I'd give them good learning, the best could be found
So when they growned up they'd be checkers and weighers
And not spend their life digging in the dark underground

Now what can I say to his poor little children?
And what can I tell his dear mother at home?
And what will I say to my heart that's clear broken?
Broken in two, yeah, now my baby is gone

Oh say, did you see him going? It was early this morning
He passed all your houses on his way to the call
He was tall, he was slender and his dark eyes so tender
His occupation was mining, West Virginia his home