The Mountain
Del McCoury/Steve Earle Lyrics

I was born on this mountain a long time ago
The singer was born and raised in this mountain region, long before it was exploited and ravaged by man.

Before they knocked down the timber and strip-mined the coal
This area was once rich with timber and coal, resources that were shamefully exploited and depleted.

When you rose in the mornin' before it was light
The people who worked in the coal mines had to wake up before sunrise to begin their grueling day of labor.

To go down in that dark hole and come back up at night
Their work involved descending into the depths of the mine and then returning to the surface after their shift was over.

I was born on this mountain, this mountain's my home
The singer feels a deep connection to this place, it's where he comes from and where he belongs.

She holds me and keeps me from worry and woe
He finds solace and comfort in the mountain's natural beauty and the memories it holds.

Well, they took everything that she gave, now they're gone
The natural resources of the mountain were exploited and depleted by those who didn't care for the land and its inhabitants.

But i'll die on this mountain, this mountain's my home
Despite the damage done to the land, the singer knows this is where he belongs and where he'll eventually return to, in death.

I was young on this mountain but now i am old
The singer has lived his entire life on this mountain, and has seen it change and degraded before his eyes.

And i knew every holler, every cool swimmin' hole
Having spent his life here, the singer has fond memories and intimate knowledge of the area, including hidden locations for swimming.

'til one night i lay down and woke up to find
Despite his familiarity with the area, time still moves on and things change. One day he realizes he's grown old and the world is a different place.

That my childhood was over and i went down in the mine
As a child, the singer was probably sent to the coal mine to help bring home extra income, and this event marked the end of his childhood innocence.

There's a hole in this mountain and it's dark and it's deep
The mine is unsettling, a hole in the natural beauty of the mountain, and one that beckons with a sense of mystery and danger.

And god only knows all the secrets it keeps
The mine holds many secrets, some maybe even dangerous or unknown, and that can bring to mind dark and mysterious possibilities.

There's a chill in the air only miners can feel
Miners know firsthand the harsh and dangerous conditions of the mine, and the sickening feeling that can come over them as they work there.

There're ghosts in the tunnels that the company sealed
The mines were dangerous places to work in and many miners died tragically, their spirits haunting the tunnels even after the mine was closed.