My family got lucky
They escaped from this place
This poor tired town
With its poor haggard face
The hills rise around me
They threaten and frown
Life no parole here
In Colliertown
The mine and the tower
Stand as symbols of greed
Who would feed upon hunger?
Who would feed upon need?
Who would build families' futures
On such treacherous ground?
You're just profit and loss here
In Colliertown
At the courthouse they gather
And they wait in a line
For some kind of justice
For those who died in the mine
The cameras flash brightly
An explosion of stars
The owners cover their faces
And they run for their cars.
The lawyers talk smoothly
For the six o'clock news
Here in Colliertown
Only the innocent lose.
They closed down the courtroom
Nobody knows why
Men's faces darken
They try not to cry
I stood by the foundation of my grandfather's barn
I looked down the valley
At the quiet green farms
The sweet flowing river, as it gently runs down
No sins washed away here
In Colliertown
So my family got lucky
They escaped from this place
This poor tired town
With its poor haggard face
The ghosts of the fallen
They still wander around
Waiting for justice
In Colliertown