You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive
key=Dm
Dm F C G
In the deep dark hills of Eastern Kentucky
Dm F Bb
That's the place where I trace my blood-lines
Bb F C G
And it was there I read on a hillside gravestone
Bb A Dm
You'll never leave Harlan alive
Oh, my GrandDaddy's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountains
Where he asked Tillie Copeland to be his bride
He said, Tillie, walk with me out of the mouth of this holler
Or we'll never leave Harlan Alive
Chorus:
[ F Bb C F ]
[ Where the sun comes up, about ten in the morning ]
[ Dm Eb Bb ]
[ And the sun goes down about three in the day ]
[ F Bb C F ]
[ And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew your drinking ]
[ Dm Eb Dm ]
[ And you spend your life, just thinking of, how to get away ]
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
Until a man a man from the Northeast arrived
Waving hundred dollar bills, he said I'll pay for your minerals
but he never left Harlan alive
Grandma sold out cheap and they moved out west to Pineville
To a farm where the big Richland River winds
And they danced a little jig, and they and sang a little song
Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive
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 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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key=Am
Am C G D
In the deep dark hills of Eastern Kentucky
Am C F
That's the place where I trace my blood-lines
F C G D
And it was there I read on a hillside gravestone
F E Em
You'll never leave Harlan alive
Chorus:
[ C F G C ]
[ Where the sun comes up, about ten in the morning ]
[ Am Bb F ]
[ And the sun goes down about three in the day ]
[ C F G C ]
[ And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew your drinking ]
[ Am Bb Am ]
[ And you spend your life, just thinking of, how to get away ]