[Verse 1]
Mine is a tale of many a man
From Pikeville on west of Waco
I make my living with my back and my hands
Searching the caverns for coal
What's left of a man too soon past his prime
Most days I feel like a slave
Doing my time on the company dime
Down in a rock solid grave
[Chorus]
It's a dreary and dark, deep down in the mine
But it's a life to which I am bound
Where dreams of a young man just wither with time
Since I never got out of this town
I spend my days below the ground
[Verse 2]
When I was a boy about fifteen years old
The mine wasn't part of my plan
I had big dreams on down the road
To be a doctor ora business man
But then daddy, he died with a chest full of coal
And a new sense of duty arrived
Then I took his place down in that black hole
And made sure the family survived
[Chorus]
It's a dreary and dark, deep down in the mine
But it's a life to which I am bound
Where dreams of a young man just wither with time
Since I never got out of this town
I spend my days below the ground
[Verse 3]
As I walk out the door, I look down the hall
Toward the room of my only son
And of the family pictures that hang on the wall
I pray someday he'll be the one
Who can break down the chain of three generations
And leave all the misery behind
Find a new town and a good occupation
And leave me with some peace of mind
[Chorus]
It's a dreary and dark, deep down in the mine
But it's a life to which I am bound
Where dreams of a young man just wither with time
Since I never got out of this town
I spend my days below the ground