Coal Dust  

Copyright Andy G. Twanger AKA Andy Glanzman 

Intro  - Em   G   C     x 4 

Em          G               C 

My father came from Marrowbone Kentucky 

Em                 G            C 

Our coal camp house sat near the old train line. 

Em                   G           C 

Dad worked all night inside those hollowed mountains 

Em   G               C 

Till 25 when they closed Pike Holler mine 

 

Times got hard, so we moved to Harlan County 

Dad found a job that paid him overtime 

When we looked back, oh boy did we feel lucky 

The Harlan wage it paid an extra dime 

                       

C                                      G 

Dad made his pay in those Alleghany mines 

B7                                              C 

Under those flat top mountain and big old southern pines 

C                    G 

600 men with faces painted black 

B7 

They keep those iron horses rolling down the track …don’t look back 

 

like intro - Em   G   C     x 4 

 

Mom raised us kids the best that she was able 

Worked part time jobs to help dad make end meet 

My sis and me and now one more in the cradle 

Didn’t have that much but had just enough to eat 

 

Dad moved us east to Twin Branch West Virginia 

Old mountain town set on the borderline 

That black coal sky became so damn familiar 

Till 39 when hard coal went into decline 

 

Sing  Chorus                               Then  - Em   G   C   x4 

Instrumental like Chorus chords     Then - Em   G   C   x4 

 

Dad heard the men say change was on the way 

We’d get more pay if walked the picket lines 

The Eastern War made coal worth every penny 

By 41 the great unions ruled the mines 

So I left home to join the holy hell 

Gave up my shovel for a riffle and a knife 

Mom wrote and said,” Dads not doing all that well” 

And that black coal dust might end your daddy life 

Chorus then Intro  - Em   G   C   x 4  

Sing Chorus but then hold B7 3 more times slowing down the train. End Em