Miner's Dream - The East Pointers

Dwight Yoakam & Ralph Stanley When the whistle blows each morning And I walk down in that cold, dark mine I say a prayer to my dear Saviour Please let me see the sunshine one more time Chorus: When oh when will it be over When will I lay these burdens down And when I die, dear Lord, in heaven Please take my soul from 'neath that cold, dark ground Instrumental I still grieve for my poor brother And I still hear my dear old mother cry When late that night they came and told her He'd lost his life down in the Big Shoal Mine Chorus: When oh when will it be over When will I lay these burdens down And when I die, dear Lord, in heaven Please take my soul from 'neath that cold, dark ground Instrumental I have no shame, I feel no sorrow If on this earth not much I own I have the love of my sweet children An old plow mule, a shovel and a hoe Chorus: When oh when will it be over When will I lay these burdens down And when I die, dear Lord, in heaven Please take my soul from 'neath that cold, dark ground Yeah when I die, dear Lord, in heaven Please take my soul from 'neath that cold, dark ground

Deep in the mountain of Harlan County Employed by the Cumberland coal company Well the pay is short and the days are long But our labor union laws are coming on strong So I drink this whiskey for my throat Wear my hard hat and weathered coat Early every morning I stand in line Waiting to work another Kentucky coal mine We enter the shaft around five thirty With two dozen hands, cold, calloused and dirty We'll dig through a million tons of rock and clay And we'll still be digging at the end of the day Down on our knees we confess our sins And pray that the roof above don't cave in So bless our hearts and save our souls And the air we breathe down in the devil's hole Just last week when the the ceiling fell The explosion trapped us in the depths of hell The weight of the earth took poor Tucker's life Leaving behind a hungry baby and wife We dug out with our shovels and picks But soon enough the black lung disease will make us all sick So bless our hearts and save our souls And the air we breathe down in the devil's hole I work deep in the mountains of eastern Kentucky I know if I leave Harlan alive, I'll be more than lucky Wish I could go to Texas and plant some cottonseed But moving takes money and I've got three mouths to feed So I drink this whiskey for my throat Wear my hard hat and weathered coat Early every morning I stand in line Waiting to work another Kentucky coal mine

Goin' to the chapel and we're Gonna get married Goin' to the chapel and we're Gonna get married Gee, I really love you and we're Gonna get married Goin' to the chapel of lov Spring is here The sky is blue (Whoa-whoa-whoa) Birds all sing As if they knew Today's the day We'll say I do And we'll never be lonely anymore Because we're Goin' to the chapel and we're Gonna get married Goin' to the chapel and we're Gonna get married Gee, I really love you and we're Gonna get married Goin' to the chapel of love Bells will ring The sun will shine (Whoa-whoa-whoa) I'll be his and He'll be mine We'll love until The end of time And we'll never be lonely anymore Because we're Goin' to the chapel and we're Gonna get married Goin' to the chapel and we're Gonna get married Gee, I really love you and we're Gonna get married Goin' to the chapel of love

The call of the wilds Down a whispering wind It's more like a cry That gets under your skin Till one day you fly Too close to the flame Too close to the flame And all of the things You leave behind Catch up with your heart And reel in your mind Unaware I belong now, I just hope it's not too late It's not too late Elmira take me home And cradle me upon the waves I still keep you in my soul And sometimes I count the days And Elmira you should know I left but never lost my place And these nights I miss you most My heart is yours to break I see you in streets I dream you in dreams The sound of your voice Drowning out the machines From this far away Need you a million ways There's never a day goes by Elmira take me home And cradle me upon the waves I still keep you in my soul And sometimes I count the days And Elmira you should know I left but never lost my place And these nights I miss you most My heart is yours to break My heart is yours to break (My heart is yours to break) My heart is yours to break (My heart is yours to break) My heart is yours to break