Aaron Watson - Kentucky Coal Miner's Prayer lyrics

Deep in the mountain of Harlan County Employed by the Cumberland coal company The pay is short, the days are long But our labor union laws are coming on strong So I drink this whiskey for my throat Wear my hard hat and weathered coat Early every morning I stand in line Waiting to work these Kentucky coal mines We enter the shaft around five thirty With two dozen hands, cold, callused and dirty We'll dig through a million tons of rock and clay And we'll still be digging at the end of the day Down on our knees we confess our sins And pray that the roof above don't cave in So bless our hearts and save or souls And the air we breathe down in the devil's hole Just last week when the the ceiling fell The explosion trapped us in the depths of hell The weight of the earth took poor Tucker's life Leaving behind a hungry baby and wife We dug out with our shovels and picks But soon enough the black lung disease will make us sick So bless our hearts and save or souls And the air we breathe down in the devil's hole I work deep in the mountains of eastern Kentucky I know if I leave Harlan alive I'll be more than lucky Wish I could go to Texas and plant some cottonseed But moving takes money and I've got three mouths to feed So I drink this whiskey for my throat Wear my hard hat and weathered coat Early every morning I stand in line Waiting to work another Kentucky coal mine