Holbrook didn't consider a career in music until November of 2013 when he began posting videos of himself singing. He was inspired to begin posting after almost cutting off his leg working as a lumberjack.
Coal Town
Taylor Ray Holbrook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a long line of men, covered in black soot and ash
Ain't much work around here since they closed down the mines
We're either working in the prisons or we're logging them pines
We're just taking what we're given, scraping out a living
Getting by is all we've ever known
Our whole world stopped turning when them headlamps quit burning
the ground, in what's left of a coal town
No one had a choice when the jobs up and left
It was a man in a suit, who thought he knew best
But he never saw what it was before or what it's now become
And there ain't no turning back, cause what's done is done
We're just taking what we're given, scraping out a living
Getting by is all we've ever known
Our whole world stopped turning when them headlamps quit burning
Now we're picking up the peices off
the ground, in what's left of a coal town
In what's left of a coal town
We're just taking what we're given, scraping out a living
Getting by is all we've ever known
Our whole world stopped turning when them headlamps quit burning
Now we're picking up the peices off the ground
Now we're picking up the peices of the ground
In what's left of a coal town
In what's left of a coal town
And well daddy wasn't the first, but he might be the last
The song "Coal Town" by Taylor Ray Holbrook is a country ballad that tells the story of a town that has been heavily impacted by the closure of the coal mines. The singer speaks from the perspective of someone whose family has lived in the town for generations and worked in the mines. The song paints a picture of a once-thriving town that has fallen on hard times due to economic factors beyond the control of the people who live there.
The first verse sets the stage, as the singer comments that his father was one of many men who worked in the coal mines and that the tradition may not continue, as there is little work to be had in the area now that the mines have closed. The second verse goes on to explain that the people in the town are doing the best they can with what they have, but that they are struggling to make ends meet. The third verse talks about how the closure of the mines was not something that the people in the town could control, and that they are left to pick up the pieces of their shattered community.
The song is a powerful commentary on the struggles faced by rural communities in America as they fight to keep their traditions and way of life alive in the face of economic hardship. It speaks to the resilience of the people living in these towns and the sense of community that helps them to persevere. Overall, "Coal Town" is a poignant and heartfelt tribute to the people who call these communities home.
Line by Line Meaning
Daddy wasn't the first, but he might be the last
Following in the footsteps of generations before him, my father labors in the mines. But with the industry dying, he could be the last to carry on the family trade.
In a long line of men, covered in black soot and ash
My father is part of a family legacy of coal miners who come home from work each day covered in dirt and dust.
Ain't much work around here since they closed down the mines
Sadly, the mines have closed and there aren't many job opportunities besides some work in the prisons or logging industry.
We're either working in the prisons or we're logging them pines
With the mines closed, most people in our town must either work in the local prisons or the logging industry in order to make ends meet.
We're just taking what we're given, scraping out a living
We do what we can with what little we have, working hard for basic necessities like food and shelter.
Getting by is all we've ever known
For generations, our families have worked hard to survive, to eke out a living with the jobs available to us.
Our whole world stopped turning when them headlamps quit burning
The closing of the mines has had a profound impact on our community, halting economic progress and putting our livelihoods at risk.
Now we're picking up the peices off the ground, in what's left of a coal town
With hope dwindling, we're left to pick up the pieces of our shattered town and figure out how to move forward.
No one had a choice when the jobs up and left
The decision to close the mines wasn't made by us. It was a top-down choice from some suit who never had to face the consequences.
It was a man in a suit, who thought he knew best
Our livelihoods were taken away by someone who didn't have to face the consequences and didn't care about what we were going through.
But he never saw what it was before or what it's now become
The man who closed the mines never saw the pride and hard work that went into our town, nor the destruction that it's caused.
And there ain't no turning back, cause what's done is done
We can't change the past, nor can we bring the jobs back. We must figure out how to move forward and recover what we can.
Writer(s): JAMES MCNAIR, LUKE COMBS, TAYLOR RAY HOLBROOK
Contributed by Gabriella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@keithallen8543
This song could only be wrote by somebody that actually lived in that world. Nobody else could understand it enough to write about it like this and get it right. Thank you so much
@thekirby714
This speaks so highly to me, my family is from Buchanan County, VA and this is so true. My popaw was the last of coal miners in our family, my daddy had to take a job in the prison where he died in the line of duty, and my husband is a logger. And we are just picking up the pieces of the ground, of what’s left of a coal town. Thank you so much for this song Mr. Holbrook ❤️❤️❤️ you never cease to amaze me 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
@77Lorrie
We have cousins that were coal miners. My husband's mom's dad was a coal miner, they're from Big Stone Gap, and the cousin is in this video he is the mayor of BSG he is the one that is wearing a yellow shirt under a camo shirt
@gunner4lyfe723
Not much real country songs these days but this is real to me.
@Wild-tb1gv
No kidding. I'm not even from The state. South Carolina ✌
@silasgingerich8392
Born, raised, and living in Southwest VA, this song really hits home.
@Whiskey5_
I remember when he first released this song. And how much life has changed since then. God bless y'all, I'm praying for our country
@ganjaman4755
This hits home, our mine collapsed twice killing a lot of the men in my already small town. Ever since the mines closed my town turned into a drug poverty stricken town. We went from being a town that supplied canada with a lot of its coal to rubble.
@jonathanbaughman2574
Born and raised in southwest Virginia and this song hits home so hard. Proud to be from a coal family
@SarahClarkgymnast
Jonathan Baughman SAMW