I have the utmost respect for coal miners, especially those who work in some of the harshest conditions possible just to provide a basic existence for their families. Who doesn’t love a little US Marshall Raylan Givens? You will never leave Harlan alive. I was born because my grandfather left Harlan alive. Many successive generations have lived, worked and died in Harlan, unable to leave town due to the poverty and limited economic opportunities in the region. It is about the long and hard road that many coal miners in Harlan, Kentucky (and across this region) face. "You will never leave Harlan alive" Well my grandad's dad walked down Katahrin's Mountain And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride He said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler or we'll never leave Harlan alive" Where the sun comes up about ten in … Mining isn’t a safe profession either. You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive is one of my favorite songs performed by Brad Paisley (and I am still ticked he did not perform it the last time I saw him at Rupp Arena). Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. My grandfather suffers from Black Lung and melanoma, a lifetime in the mines is hard on the body. Oh, my granddad’s dad walked down Katahrins Mountain And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride Said, won’t you walk with me out of the mouth Of this holler Or we’ll never leave Harlan alive. It has special meaning to me. Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons! You will never leave Harlan alive. And it's there I read on a hillside gravestone, you will never leave Harlan alive. You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive is one of my favorite songs performed by Brad Paisley (and I am still ticked he did not perform it the last time I saw him at Rupp Arena). "You'll never leave Harlan alive" Oh, my granddads dad crossed the Cumberland Mountains Where he took a pretty girl to be his bride Said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive?" Zac Brown Band Magnolia Wind. Mining kept my family in existence. Important: The song above is NOT stored on the Chordie server.The original song is hosted at www.azchords.com.Chordie works as a search engine and provides on-the-fly formatting. It is about the long and hard road that many coal miners in Harlan, Kentucky (and across this region) face. It has special meaning to me. I’m proud to be a coal miner’s daughter. No, you’ll never leave Harlan alive… We don’t have any photos of William George Estes as a child, but one of his earliest known photos with Ollie is shown below. They are plagued with the same problems that much of southeastern Kentucky is ridden with. I am proud to be a coal miners daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter (and niece, better not forget my uncle Mike). You will never leave Harlan alive Oh, my granddad's dad walked down Katahrins Mountain And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride Said, won't you walk with me out of the mouth Of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning And the sun goes down about three in … They often struggle day in and day out just to “make ends meet” and they never give up. Don’t have an account? Katahrins Mountain. My great grandparents George Sr and Lucy Peace, and I believe their parents too are buried on a hillside in rural Harlan Kentucky. "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" was written by Darrell Scott (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROq9bjBwMXQ). It was a long and often car sick ridden trip for a young child. In the deep dark hills of Eastern Kentucky That's the place where I trace my bloodline And it's there I read on a hillside gravestone 'You'll never leave Harlan alive' They went to work before daylight and got home after dark. It was used again in the final episode of the second season. I have heard the gossip down in the mining camps following an accident, and seen the worry consume them, hoping it wasn’t one of their own. Where the sun comes up about ten in … It was a realistic fear for many mining families, which often had grandfathers, fathers, brothers, siblings, cousins, etc. Mining still helps sustain many families across the region. Features Song Lyrics for Dave Alvin's You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive (Single) album. The lyrics referred to when you actually saw the Sun. Especially in counties such as Harlan where according to the US census bureau 31% of residents live below poverty level , which is double the poverty average for the entire state. Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning And the sun goes down about three in the day Of this holler. "You will never leave Harlan alive" Well my Granddaddy's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountain And he asked Nelly Hassell to be his bride Said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive" Where the sun comes up about … Said, won't you walk with me out of the mouth. It has special meaning to me. You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive. Or we'll never leave Harlan alive. Zac Brown Band Mango Tree. It is even more heartbreaking that half of those residents live on much, much less than poverty level income. "deep dark HILLS" is probably correct, but I'm 99% sure it's also a double entendre and hearing "deep dark HELLS" was something the writer had in mind as a secondary connotation. Oh, my granddad's dad walked down . "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" as written by Darrell Scott, Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. And the sun goes down about three in the day working in the same mine. My dad worked very briefly in the mines, and we lived in rural southwest Virginia while he did. BJWC Charitable Purchase: Poinsettias For a Purpose, Call to Action: Domestic Violence and Dating, Child Fatality, My grandparents, George Jr. and Norma Logan Peace. I can’t and won’t take sides in the great debate about the coal industry in Kentucky. You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive is one of my favorite songs performed by Brad Paisley (and I am still ticked he did not perform it the last time I saw him at Rupp Arena). It's also called Catron's Mountain not Katahrins. In the Holler ( Hollow for you city folks) Those Lyrics would have been spot on. I believe it was originally written by Darrell Scott. I think the only time he left was for his tour in the Korean War. Oh my granddad’s dad walked down Katahrins Mountain And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride Said won’t you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler Or we’ll never leave Harlan alive Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning And the … I can remember as a child traveling the winding road up KY highway 119 once a month to visit my family in Harlan. It’s super easy, we promise! You will never leave Harlan alive. Many of these miners died in these dangerous and unhealthy conditions, hence, "You will never leave Harlan alive". Generations of miners have toiled in the Harlan County mines. "You will never leave Harlan alive" [Verse 2] Well my Granddaddy's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountain And he asked Nelly Hassell to be his bride Said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive" [Chorus] Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning And the sun goes down about three in the day Most of the nation became familiar with Harlan, Kentucky not from a Brad Paisley song but from the television show Justified. Chordie does not index songs against artists'/composers' will. MY Grandfather was a COAL MINER and so was my Father, and Yes We lived in Harlan county for some time. My grandfather isn’t a rich man by worldly means, but he worked hard, loves God, taught me to harm no other living creature (unless you plan to eat it) and is genuinely kind to all that he meets. Log in now to tell us what you think this song means. His body weakened and damaged from years in the coal mines, but forever grateful that he provided a home for his family. It isn’t be hard to be proud to be a coal miners (grand) daughter when you have a grandfather like him, and especially since he left Harlan alive! I am proud to be a coal miners daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter (and niece, better not forget my uncle Mike). Where the sun comes up about ten in … It is about the long and hard road that many coal miners in Harlan, Kentucky (and across this region) face. Although Harlan and its residents aren’t portrayed in the most flattering light, it brought attention to an area I hold dear to my heart. And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride. "You will never leave Harlan alive" Well my grandad's dad walked down Katahrin's Mountain And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride He said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive" Where the sun comes up about ten in … Why would you take away the job openings of those willing to work? Lyrics to 'You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive' by Kathy Mattea. "You will never leave Harlan alive" [Verse 2] Well my Granddaddy's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountain And he asked Nelly Hassell to be his bride Said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive" [Chorus] Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning And the sun goes down about three in the day Includes Album Cover, Release Year, and User Reviews. I have been back very few times since their death. It isn’t often highly regarded a profession, but how many people sacrifice their health and safety to provide a very meager existence? A lack of jobs, poverty, and drugs are just a few of the socioeconomic disadvantage which trouble a beautiful mountainous landscape. Date: October 27, 2001. But the times, they got hard and tobacco wasn't selling And ole granddad knew what he'd do to survive He went and dug for Harlan coal Sent the money back to granny but he never left Harlan alive. Nearly 13% of the employed population in Harlan works for the Coal industry. Darrell Scott Heavy Is the Head. Non-lyrical content copyright 1999-2021 SongMeanings, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display, In the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky, You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive song meanings. Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive? BIANCULLI: That music, heard almost every year on "Justified" is so ominous, you expect things to end poorly. Ironically, one of the things that Will did was to take photographs of people, so he’s not in many, … "You'll never leave Harlan alive" Oh my grandfather's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountains Where he took a pretty girl to be his bride Said "Won't you walk with me out the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive" Where the sun comes up about ten in … He is now a successful barber in Knox County, Kentucky. Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning. My grandfather left for another mining camp in Kay Jay, Kentucky, where he lives to this day. Brad Paisley – You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive. They never left Harlan alive. In 2010, Brad Paisley's cover of the song "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" was the closing song played on the TV drama Justified during the final scene of the final episode of the first season. I was born because my grandfather left Harlan alive. Located up Highway 72 is Catron's Valley. Guy Clark Soldier's Joy, 1864. 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