I was born in West Virginia Where the land is black with coal For a man to feed his family It takes twelve hours a day a diggin' in a dirty black hole Way down in the bottom of a mountain Way down in the bottom of a hole Way down in the bottom of a mountain I'm diggin' and a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal Some men give their wives j**elry Some men give their wives gold But all I can give to my sweet woman Are the few dollars I make from diggin' out the dirty black coal Way down in the bottom of a mountain Way down in the bottom of a hole Way down in the bottom of a mountain I'm diggin' and a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal I draw script for most of my money I never see a lot of that I work all week and go to church on Sunday Well the preacher gonna get what's left when they pa** the hat Way down in the bottom of a mountain Way down in the bottom of a hole Way down in the bottom of a mountain I'm diggin' and a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal I'm diggin' and a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal