Coal Tattoo

Coal Tattoo - Judy Collins

Traveling down that coaltown road

Listen to those rubber tires whine

Goodbye to Buckeye and White Sycamore

I'm leaving you behind

I've been a coal man all my life

Laying down track in the hole

Got a back like an ironwood bent by the wind

Blood veins blue as the coal

Blood veins blue as the coal

Somebody said That's a strange tattoo

You have on the side of your head

I said That's a blue print left by the coal

Just a little more and I'd be dead

And I love the rumble and I love the dark

I love the cool of the slate

But it's on down the new road looking for a job

It's the traveling and looking I hate

I've stood for the union walking the line

Fought against the company

Stood for the U M W of A

Now who's gonna stand for me

I got no house and I got no pay

Just got a worried soul

And this blue tattoo on the side of my head

Left by the number nine coal

Left by the number nine coal

Someday when I'm dead and gone

To Heaven the land of my dreams

I won't have to worry on losing my job

To bad times in big machines

I got no job and I got no pay

Just got a worried soul

And this blue tattoo on the side of my head

Left by the number nine coal

Left by the number nine coal