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"    Well my grandad's dad walked down Katahrin's Mountain  And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride  He 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 your drinking  And you spend your life just thinking 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 you for your minerals"  But he never left Harlan alive    Well Granny, she sold out cheap and they moved out west to Pineville  To a farm where Big Richland River winds  And I'll bet they danced them a jig, and they laughed and sang a new 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 Granny  But he never left Harlan alive    these lyrics are submitted by burkul