You Will Never Leave Harlan Alive
Darell Scott

        Am         C        G          D
In the deep, dark hills of eastern Kentucky
            Am             C            F
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
          F      C         G         D
And it’s there I read on a hillside gravestone
          F          E7      Am
You will never leave Harlan alive

         Am         C           G              D
Well my granddad’s dad walked down Katahrins Mountain
       Am             C               F
And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride
      F                   C             G             D
Said, won’t you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler
         F           E7      Am
Or we’ll never leave Harlan alive

                    C        F  G       C
Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
             Am             Bb           F
And the sun goes down about three in the day
                   C                 F      G          C
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you’re drinkin’
                   Am                    Bb          Am
And you spend your life just thinkin’ of how to get away

       Am   C              G             D
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
       Am             C          F
‘Til a man from the Northeast arrived
            F              C                    G                D
Waving them hundred dollar bills said, hey I’ll pay you for your minerals
        F          E7      Am
But he never left Harlan alive

F   E7   Am

Am               C                       G          D
Granny sold out cheap and they moved out west of Pineville
     Am             C               F
To a farm where big Richland River winds
           F             C                G          D
I bet they danced them a jig, laughed and sang a new song
              F          E7        Am
Who said we’d never leave Harlan alive

BREAK
Am C G D
Am C F F
F  C G D
F E7 Am  Am

        Am              C       G              D
But the times they got hard and tobacco wasn’t selling
        Am                  C            F
And ole granddad knew what he’d do to survive
            F              C                G               D
He went and dug for Harlan coal and sent the money back to granny
        F        E7      Am
But he never left Harlan alive

                    C        F  G       C
Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
             Am             Bb           F
And the sun goes down about three in the day
                   C                 F      G          C
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you’re drinkin’
                    Am                   Bb          C
And you spend your life just thinkin’ of how to get away

                    C        F  G       C
Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning
             Am             Bb           F
And the sun goes down about three in the day
                   C                 F      G          C
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you’re drinkin’
                    Am                         Bb             Am
And you spend your life digging coal from the bottom of your grave

       Am*
In the deep, dark hills of eastern Kentucky
            Am*
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
          Am*
And it’s there I read on a hillside gravestone
        Am*
You'll never leave Harlan alive