Coal Tattoo

Travelin' on down that coal town road
Listen to my rubber tires whine
It's goodbye to buckeye, white sycamore
I'm leavin' you behind
I've been a coal miner all my life
Layin' down track in the hole
Got a back like an ironwood bent by the wind
Blood veins as blue as the coal
Blood veins as blue as the coal

Well, somebody said, "That's a strange tattoo
You have on the side of your head"
Said, "That's a blue mark left by the coal
Little more and I'd have been dead"
I like the rumble, I like the dark, Lord
I like the blue of the slate
But it's goin' down that new road, lookin' for a job
Travelin' and lookin' I hate
Travelin' and lookin' I hate

Well, I stood for the union, walked in their lines
Fought against the company
Stood for the U.M.W. of A
Who's gonna stand by me?
Got no house, Lord, I got no pad
Just got a worried soul
And this blue tattoo on the side of my head
Left by the number nine coal
Left by the number nine coal

Well, someday when I'm dead and gone
Heaven, the land of my dreams
Won't have to worry 'bout losin' my job
Hard times, and big machines
Won't have to pay my money away
On dues and hospital plans
I'm a-gonna cut coal where the blue heavens roll
Sing with the angel band
Sing with the angel band

Well, I'm travelin' on down that coal town road
Listen to my rubber tires whine
Goodbye to buckeye, white sycamore
I'm leavin' you behind