You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive
Kathy Mattea

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

Oh, my granddad’s dad crossed the Cumberland Mountains
Where he took a pretty girl to be his bride
Said, Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler
Or we'll never leave Harlan alive?

Where the sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
The sun goes down about three in the day
And you'll fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinkin'
And you spend your life just thinkin' of how to get away

No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
Till a man from the northeast arrived
He was waving hundred dollar bills, said, I'll pay you for your minerals
But he never left Harlan alive

Grandma sold out cheap and they moved out west of Pikeville
To a farm where big Richland river winds
Oh, I bet they danced them a jig and they laughed and sang a new song
“Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive”

But the times got hard and tobacco wasn't selling
And old granddad knew what he'd do to survive
So he went and dug for Harlan coal, sent the money back to granny
But he never left Harlan alive

Where the sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
The sun goes down about three in the day
You fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinkin'
And you spend your life just thinkin' of how to get away

The sun comes up about ten in the mornin'
And the sun goes down about three in the day
And you fill your cup with whatever bitter brew you're drinkin'
And you spend your life diggin’ coal from the bottom of your grave


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Lyrics by Kathy Mattea

  (Love Is) My Last Word   18 Wheels & A Dozen Roses (1988)   33, 45, 78 (record Time)   455 Rocket   A Far Cry   A Few Good Things Remain   A Few Good Things Remain (1991)   Agate Hill   All Roads To The River   Amarillo   Angels We Have Heard on High   Another Man   As Long As I Have A Heart   Asking Us to Dance   At My Window [Duet][*]   Baby King   Back Up Grinnin' Again   Back Up Grinnin' Again   Battle Hymn Of Love   Beautiful Fool   BFD   Black Lung   Black Waters   Blue Diamond Mines   Brightest And Best   Burnin' Old Memories   Burnin' Old Memories   Callin' My Name   Callin' My Name   Calling Me Home   Christ Child's Lullaby   Christ Child's Lullabye   Christ Child's Lullabye   Christmas Collage   Coal Tattoo   Come From The Heart   Come From The Heart (1989)   Coming Of The Roads   Dark as a Dungeon   Down On The Corner   Eighteen Wheels And A Dozen Roses   Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses [DVD]   Emmanuel   Evenin'   Evenin'   Every Love   Forgive And Forget   From A Distance   Further and Further Away   God Ain't No Stained Glass Window   Goin' Gone   Goin' Gone   Gone, Gonna Rise Again   Grand Canyon   Green Rolling Hills   Harley   Hello, My Name Is Coal   Here's Hopin'   Here's Hopin'   Hills Of Alabam'   Hills Of Alabam'   Hurt Some   I Have Always Loved You   I Wear Your Love   I'll Take Care Of You   I'm Alright   I'm On Your Side   I'll Take Care Of You   I'm Alright   I'm On Your Side   If That's What You Call Love   If That's What You Call Love   Innocent Years (Reprise)   Last Night I Dreamed of Loving You   Late In The Day   Leaving West Virginia   Life As We Knew It   Life As We Knew It (1989)   Like A Hurricane   Listen To The Radio   Lonely At The Bottom   Lonesome Standard Time   Lonesome Standard Time (1992)   Love At The Five And Dime   Love At The Five And Dime (1986)   Love Chooses You   Love Travels   Mary, Did You Know   Mary, Did You Know?   Maybe She's Human   Maybe She's Human   Mr. Smith Had An Oldsmobile   Nobody's Gonna Rain On Our Parade   Nobody's Gonna Rain On Our Parade   Nothing But A Child   Now Is The Cool Of The Day   O Come All Ye Faithful   Patiently Waiting   Quarter Moon   Red-Winged Blackbird   Requiem for a Mountain   Right Out Of Nowhere   Rock Me on the Water   Rocket   Sally in the Garden   Seeds   Sending Me Angels   She Came From Fort Worth   Sing, Mary, Sing   Slow Boat   Smoking   Song For The Life   Standing Knee Deep in a River   Standing Knee Deep In A River (Dying Of Thirst)   Straw Against The Chill   Summer Of My Dreams   That's Easy For You To Say   That's The Deal   That's Easy For You To Say   That's The Deal   The Battle Hymn of Love   The Bridge   The Cape   The Christmas Song   The End Of The Line   The Innocent Years   The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore   The Maple's Lament   The Southern Soldier Boy   The Star   The Streets Of Your Town   The Wood Thrush's Song   There Were Roses   There's A New Kid In Town   There's A New Kid In Town   Till I Turn To You   Time Passes By   Train Of Memories   Trouble With Angels   True North   Trust Me   Untasted Honey   Unto Us A Child Is Born   Untold Stories   Walk The Way The Wind Blows   Walk The Way The Wind Blows (1986)   Walking Away A Winner   West Virginia Mine Disaster   West Virginia, My Home   What A Wonderful Beginning   What Could Have Been   Where Have You Been   Where Have You Been?   Where've You Been   Where've You Been (1990)   Whole Lotta Holes   Willow In The Wind   You Plant Your Fields   You're The Power   You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive   You're The Power

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