You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive

Song You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive
Artist Kathy Mattea
Album Coal

Lyrics

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'll never leave Harlan alive"
Oh, my granddad’s dad crossed the
Cumberland
MountainsWhere he took a pretty girl to be his bride
Said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this hollerOr we'll never leave Harlan alive?"
Where the sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
The sun goes down about three in the day
And you'll fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinkin'
And you spend your life just thinkin' of how to get away
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
Till a man from the northeast arrived
He was waving hundred dollar bills, said, "I'll pay you for your minerals"
But he never left
Harlan alive
Grandma sold out cheap and they moved out west of
PikevilleTo a farm where big
Richland river winds
Oh, I 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 got hard and tobacco wasn't selling
And old granddad knew what he'd do to survive
So he went and dug for
Harlan coal, sent the money back to granny
But he never left
Harlan alive
Where the sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
The sun goes down about three in the day
You fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinkin'
And you spend your life just thinkin' of how to get away
The sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinkin'
And you spend your life diggin’ coal from the bottom of your grave

Pinyin

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' ll never leave Harlan alive"
Oh, my granddad' s dad crossed the
Cumberland
MountainsWhere he took a pretty girl to be his bride
Said, " Won' t you walk with me out of the mouth of this hollerOr we' ll never leave Harlan alive?"
Where the sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
The sun goes down about three in the day
And you' ll fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you' re drinkin'
And you spend your life just thinkin' of how to get away
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
Till a man from the northeast arrived
He was waving hundred dollar bills, said, " I' ll pay you for your minerals"
But he never left
Harlan alive
Grandma sold out cheap and they moved out west of
PikevilleTo a farm where big
Richland river winds
Oh, I 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 got hard and tobacco wasn' t selling
And old granddad knew what he' d do to survive
So he went and dug for
Harlan coal, sent the money back to granny
But he never left
Harlan alive
Where the sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
The sun goes down about three in the day
You fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you' re drinkin'
And you spend your life just thinkin' of how to get away
The sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you' re drinkin'
And you spend your life diggin' coal from the bottom of your grave