Brad Paisley - You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive 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 will never leave Harlan alive

Oh, my granddad's dad walked down
Katahrins Mountain
And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride
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 you're drinking
And you spend your life just thinking
Of how to get away

No one ever knew there was
Coal in them mountains
Till a man from the Northeast arrived
Waving hundred dollar bills he said I'll
Pay ya for your minerals
But he never left Harlan alive

Granny sold out cheap and they moved out west
Of Pineville
To a farm where big Richland River winds
I bet they danced them a jig
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 ole 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

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 you're drinking
And you spend your life just thinkin'
Of how to get away
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 you're drinking
And you spend your life digging coal
From the bottom of your grave

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