Verse 1:
In the d[Dm]eep, dark h[F]ills of e[C]astern Kent[G]ucky
That's the p[Dm]lace where I tr[F]ace my bloodl[Bb]ine
And it?s t[Bb]here I r[F]ead on a h[C]illside gr[G]avestone
You will n[Bb]ever leave H[A7]arlan al[Dm]ive
Verse 2:
Well 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
Chorus:
Where the sun comes [F]up about [Bb]ten [C]in the m[F]orning
And the sun g[Dm]oes down about [Bb]three [F]in the [Bb]day
And you fill your c[F]up with whatever b[Bb]itter br[C]ew you?re d[F]rinkin?
And you spend your l[Dm]ife just thinkin? of [Bb]how to get a[Dm]way
Verse 3:
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
?Til a man from the Northeast arrived
Waving hundred dollar bills said, I?ll pay you for your minerals
But he never left Harlan alive
[Bb] [A7] [Dm]
Verse 4:
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
Instrumental Break: (same chords as verse)
Verse 5:
But the times they 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
Repeat Chorus (last chord changes from Dm to F)
Last Chorus:
Where the sun comes [F]up about [Bb]ten [C]in the m[F]orning
And the sun g[Dm]oes down about [Bb]three [F]in the [Bb]day
And you fill your c[F]up with whatever b[Bb]itter br[C]ew you?re d[F]rinkin?
And you spend your l[Dm]ife digging coal from the b[Bb]ottom of your g[Dm]rave
Last verse:
Dm (one strum)
In the deep, dark hills of eastern Kentucky
Dm (one strum)
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
Dm (one strum)
And it?s there I read on a hillside gravestone
Dm (one strum)
You'll never leave Harlan alive
In the d[Dm]eep, dark h[F]ills of e[C]astern Kent[G]ucky
That's the p[Dm]lace where I tr[F]ace my bloodl[Bb]ine
And it?s t[Bb]here I r[F]ead on a h[C]illside gr[G]avestone
You will n[Bb]ever leave H[A7]arlan al[Dm]ive
Verse 2:
Well 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
Chorus:
Where the sun comes [F]up about [Bb]ten [C]in the m[F]orning
And the sun g[Dm]oes down about [Bb]three [F]in the [Bb]day
And you fill your c[F]up with whatever b[Bb]itter br[C]ew you?re d[F]rinkin?
And you spend your l[Dm]ife just thinkin? of [Bb]how to get a[Dm]way
Verse 3:
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
?Til a man from the Northeast arrived
Waving hundred dollar bills said, I?ll pay you for your minerals
But he never left Harlan alive
[Bb] [A7] [Dm]
Verse 4:
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
Instrumental Break: (same chords as verse)
Verse 5:
But the times they 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
Repeat Chorus (last chord changes from Dm to F)
Last Chorus:
Where the sun comes [F]up about [Bb]ten [C]in the m[F]orning
And the sun g[Dm]oes down about [Bb]three [F]in the [Bb]day
And you fill your c[F]up with whatever b[Bb]itter br[C]ew you?re d[F]rinkin?
And you spend your l[Dm]ife digging coal from the b[Bb]ottom of your g[Dm]rave
Last verse:
Dm (one strum)
In the deep, dark hills of eastern Kentucky
Dm (one strum)
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
Dm (one strum)
And it?s there I read on a hillside gravestone
Dm (one strum)
You'll never leave Harlan alive
