YOU'LL NEVER LEAVE HARLAN ALIVE
Recorded by Patty Loveless in the key of "Gm"
Performed in the Down From the Mountain concert series
Capo 3 and play in Em to accompany recorded music
(Verse I)
Em G D A
In the deep dark hills of Eastern Kentucky
Em G C
That's the place where I trace my blood-lines.
G/B C G A C
And it was there I read on a hillside gravestone
Em B7 Em Em
You'll never leave Harlan alive.
(Verse II)
Oh, my Grandfather Dave crossed the Cumberland Mountains
Where he took a pretty girl 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."
(Chorus)
G C D G
Where the sun comes up, about ten in the morning
Em F C
And the sun goes down about three in the day
G C D G
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew your drinking
D/F# Em F Em
And you spend your life, just thinking of, how to get away.
(Verse III)
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
Until a man a man from the Northeast arrived.
With a hundred dollar bill he said I'll pay for your minerals
He never left Harlan alive.
(Verse IV)
Grandma sold out cheap and they moved out west of Conwell.
To a farm where the big Richland River winds
And I'll bet they danced in the ditch and they laughed and sang a little
song
Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive.
(Verse V)
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 Grandma
But he never left Harlan alive.
(Chorus No. 2)
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, digging coal, from the bottom of your grave.
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