Kathy Mattea - Black Lung lyrics

He's had more hard luck than most men could stand The mines was his first love but never his friend He's lived a hard life and hard he'll die Black lung's done got him his time is nigh Black lung, black lung, oh you're just bidin' your time Soon all of this sufferin' I'll leave behind But I can't help but wonder what God had in mind To send such a devil to claim this soul of mine He went to the boss man but he closed the door Well, it seems you're not wanted when you're sick and you're poor You ain't even covered in their medical plans And your life depends on the favors of man Down in the poor house on starvation's plan Where pride is a stranger and doomed is a man His soul full of coal dust till his body's decayed And everyone but black lung's done turned him away Black lung, black lung, oh your hand's icy cold As you reach for my life and you torture my soul Cold as that water hole down in that dark cave Where I spent my life's blood diggin' my own grave Down at the graveyard the boss man came With his little bunch of flowers, dear God what a shame Take back those flowers, don't you sing no sad songs The die has been cast now, a good man is gone He's had more hard luck than most men could stand The mines was his first love but never his friend He's lived a hard life and hard he'll die Black lung's done got him his time is nigh Black lung, black lung, oh you're just bidin' your time Soon all of this sufferin' I'll leave behind But I can't help but wonder what God had in mind To send such a devil to claim this soul of mine