Lyrics Black Mountain Rag - Merle Travis, Joe Maphis

Black Mountain Rag

The first thing I remember I was on the mountain side
I couldn’t have been much more than five
Got a place in Raleigh with a brand new bride
Working in the mountain’s gonna be the death of me
Working, working Black Mountain
Working, working, working all the time
I’m gonna dig right through Black Mountain
Till I reach the other side
My daddy worked down in the mountain
Granddaddy great granddaddy too
Way back when the Winding Gulf was new
My momma told there was more
To life and grandma said just go
But mining is the only thing I know
Up in West Virginia there’s a mountain made of coal
All the folk Raleigh like to call it black gold
I was digging young, I’ll be digging when I’m old
I’m a digging fool if the truth be told
Working, working Black Mountain
Working, working, working all the time
I’m gonna dig right through Black Mountain
Till I Reach the other side
My daddy worked down in the mountain
Granddaddy great granddaddy too
Way back when the Winding Gulf was new
My momma told there was more
To life and grandma said just go
But mining is the only thing I know
Look out for the cave in, listen for the crack
If a boulder rolls you, gonna break your back
One day I was leaving here, walking in the mud
Next day I was back: got mining in the blood
Working, working Black Mountain
Working, working, working all the time
I’m gonna dig right through Black Mountain
Till I Reach the other side
My daddy worked down in the mountain
Granddaddy great granddaddy too
Way back when the Winding Gulf was new
My momma told there was more
To life and grandma said just go
But mining is the only thing I know