I was born in west virginia Where the land is black with coal For a man to feed his family takes twelve hours a day A diggin' in the big black hole Way down in the bottom of a mountain way Down in the bottom of a hole Way down in the bottom of a mountain i'm diggin' And a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal Some men give their wives jewelry Some men give their wives gold But all i can give to my sweet woman Are the few dollars i make a diggin' out the dirty black coal Way down in the bottom of a mountain way Down in the bottom of a hole Way down in the bottom of a mountain i'm diggin' And a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal I draw script for most of my money I never see a lot of that I work all week and go to church on sunday Well the preacher gonna get what's left when they pass the hat Way down in the bottom of a mountain way Down in the bottom of a hole Way down in the bottom of a mountain i'm diggin' And a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal I'm diggin' and a shovelin' and a loadin' out the dirty black coal