I was born on this mountain a long time ago

Before they knocked down the timber and strip-mined the coal

When you rose in the mornin' before it was light

To go down in that dark hole and come back up at night



I was born on this mountain, this mountain's my home

She holds me and keeps me from worry and woe

Well, they took everything that she gave, now they're gone

But I'll die on this mountain, this mountain's my home



I was young on this mountain but now I am old

And I knew every holler, every cool swimmin' hole

Til one night I lay down and woke up to find

That my childhood was over and I went down in the mine



There's a hole in this mountain and it's dark and it's deep

And God only knows all the secrets it keeps

There's a chill in the air only miners can feel

There're ghosts in the tunnels that the company sealed