Black Waters

Now I come from the mountains, Kentucky's my home
Where the wild deer and black bear so lately did roam
By the clear rushing waterfall, the wild flowers dream
And through every green valley there runs a pure stream

Now there's scenes of destruction on every hand
And there's only black waters runnin' down through my land

Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
Black waters, black waters run down through my land

Now the quail she's a pretty bird she sings a sweet tongue
In the roots of the tall timber she nests with her young
And the hillside explodes with a dynamite's roar
And the voices of the small birds will sound there no more
And the hillside comes sliding so awful and brown
And the fetid black waters run down through my land

Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
Black waters, black waters run down through my land

In the rising of the springtime we planted our corn
In the end of springtime we buried our son
In the summer comes a nice man, says "Everything's fine..."
"...my employer just requires a way to his mine."
And they tore down the mountain and covered my corn
And the grave on the hillside's a mile deeper down
And the man sits and talks with his hat in his hands
And the poisonous waters rise over my land

Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
Black waters, black waters run down through my land

Well I ain't got no money, not much of a home
I own all my land, but my land's not my own
Well if I had ten million somewhere's thereabouts
I'd buy Perry county and run 'em all out
And I'd sit on the bank with my bait and my can
And watch the clear waters run down through my land

Now wouldn't that be like the old promised land
Black waters black waters no more in my land

Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
Black waters, black waters run down through my land