Dm

[Verse 1]
        Dm         F        C          G
In the deep, dark hills of eastern Kentucky
            Dm             F            Bb
That's the place where I trace my bloodline
          Bb      F         C         G
And it’s there I read on a hillside gravestone
          Bb          A7      Dm
You will never leave Harlan alive

[Link] (enter electric guitar)
Dm

[Verse 2]
         Dm         F           C              G
Well my granddad’s dad walked down Katahrins Mountain
       Dm             F               Bb
And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride
Am                 Bb                      C             G
   Said, won’t you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler
         Bb          A7      Dm
Or we’ll never leave Harlan alive

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

[Verse 3]
       Dm   F              C             G
No one ever knew there was coal in them mountains
       Dm             F          Bb
‘Til a man from the Northeast arrived
            Bb             F                    C                  G
Waving them hundred dollar bills said, hey I’ll pay you for your minerals
        Bb          A7      Dm
But he never left Harlan alive

Bb   A7   Dm

[Verse 4]
Dm               F                       C          G
Granny sold out cheap and they moved out west of Pineville
     Dm             F               Bb
To a farm where big Richland River winds
           Bb             F               C           G
I bet they danced them a jig, laughed and sang a new song
              Bb          A7        Dm
Who said we’d never leave Harlan alive

[Instrumental Break]
Dm F C G
Dm F Bb Bb
F C G Bb
Bb A7 Dm  Dm

[Link]
Dm

[Verse 5]
        Dm              F          C            G
But the times they got hard and tobacco wasn’t selling
        Dm                  F            Bb
And ole granddad knew what he’d do to survive
            Bb              F                C               G
He went and dug for Harlan coal and sent the money back to granny
        Bb        A7      Dm
But he never left Harlan alive

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

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

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