You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive (Album Version)

You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive （Version ）-Patty Loveless
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
Thinkin'of how to get away
No one ever knew there was
Coal in them mountains
'Til 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
You will never leave Harlan alive