You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive
By: Darrell Scott
I only added the chords for the rest of this one. All credit should go to indymed.
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
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
Bb F 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 hundred dollar bills said, 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: (same chords as verse)
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: (one strum for each chord and let it ring)
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
