text: Deep in the mountain of Harlan County
  Employed by the Cumberland coal company
  The pay is short, the days are long
  But our labor union laws are coming on strong
  So I drink this whiskey for my throat
  Wear my hard hat and weathered coat
  Early every morning I stand in line
  Waiting to work these Kentucky coal mines
  We enter the shaft around five thirty
  With two dozen hands, cold, callused and dirty
  Well dig through a million tons of rock and clay
  And well still be digging at the end of the day
  Down on our knees we confess our sins
  And pray that the roof above dont cave in
  So bless our hearts and save or souls
  And the air we breathe down in the devils hole
  Just last week when the the ceiling fell
  The explosion trapped us in the depths of hell
  The weight of the earth took poor Tuckers life
  Leaving behind a hungry baby and wife
  We dug out with our shovels and picks
  But soon enough the black lung disease will make us sick
  So bless our hearts and save or souls
  And the air we breathe down in the devils hole
  I work deep in the mountains of eastern Kentucky
  I know if I leave Harlan alive Ill be more than lucky
  Wish I could go to Texas and plant some cottonseed
  But moving takes money and Ive got three mouths to feed
  So I drink this whiskey for my throat
  Wear my hard hat and weathered coat
  Early every morning I stand in line
  Waiting to work another Kentucky coal mine