"The Coal Comes Up"
Words and music © Grant Maloy Smith
From the album APPALACHIA: AMERICAN STORIES
Bless us, Jesus We're gone down again We're room and pillar boys West Virginia men
Hey, now
Pick axe in my hand We'll load our quota, brother Load it if we can
Well, the coal comes up When a man goes down Black damp keeps the devil comin' round Lord save me, Jesus come git me underground Oh, the coal comes up when a man goes down
Lately, doctor It's getting hard to breathe I got the miner's lung Like daddy before me
Hatred - he ain't got no place There's just one color here Coal's on every face
Well, the coal comes up When a man goes down Black damp keeps the devil comin' round Lord save me, Jesus come git me underground Oh, the coal comes up when a man goes down
I'll cut coal long as I'm able I've had mouths to feed since I was ten That coal put three squares on our table
Well, the coal comes up When a man goes down Black damp will keep the devil comin' round Lord save me, Jesus come git me underground Oh, the coal comes up when a man goes down