INTRO: Em

                 G        D          A
In the deep dark hills of Eastern Kentucky
           Em            G             C
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
                        G       D             A
And it's there that I read on a hillside gravestone
        C           B7           Em
"You'll never leave Harlan alive"


                  G               D          A
Oh, my granddad's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountains
         Em            G              C
Where he took a pretty girl to be his bride
                            G            D             A
Said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this hollow
         C           B7      Em
Or we'll never leave Harlan alive?"


CHORUS:
                    G        C   ~      G
Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
        ~    Em         F     ~      C
The sun goes down about three in the day
                  G                 C      ~           G
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinking
              ~    Em                    F             Em
And you spend your life just thinking of how to get away


            G              D            A
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
       Em           G            C
'Til a man from the north-east arrived
                             G                  D                    A
He was waving hundred dollar bills, said, "I'll pay you for your minerals"
       C          B7        Em    C  B7  Em
But he never left Harlan alive


                      G         D                 A
Grandma sold out cheap and they moved out west of Pikeville
     Em             G              C
To a farm where big Richland River winds
                             G            D                      A
Oh, I bet they danced them a jig and they laughed and sang a new song
     C                     B7        Em    C  B7  Em
"Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive?"


                   G         D                   A
But the times got hard and tobacco wasn't selling
        Em                 G             C
And old granddad knew what he'd do to survive
                              G              D                   A
So he went and dug for Harlan coal, sent the money back to granny
       C          B7          Em  
But he never left Harlan alive


CHORUS:
                    G        C   ~      G
Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
        ~    Em         F     ~      C
The sun goes down about three in the day
                  G                 C      ~           G
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinking
              ~    Em                    F             Em
And you spend your life just thinking of how to get away


CHORUS:
              G        C   ~      G
The sun comes up about ten in the morning
        ~    Em         F     ~      C
The sun goes down about three in the day
                  G                 C      ~           G
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinking
              ~    Em                         F              Em
And you spend your life digging coal from the bottom of your grave