Many a man down in these here hills
Made a living off that old black gold
And now there ain't nothing but welfare and pills
And the wind never felt so cold

I'll be one of the first in a long long line
Not to go down from that old black lung
Yeah, my death will be slower than the rest of my kind
And my life will be sadder than the songs they all sung

Well now Old King Coal what are we gonna do
When the mountains are gone and so are you?

Well they come from the city to lend a hand
Carrying signs saying, "Shut the mines down"
We ain't looking for pity and you don't understand
So go back to your city now 'cause this ain't your town

And Old King Coal what are we gonna do
When the mountains are gone and so are you?

My Great Grandfather spent his days in a coal mine
And his nights on the porch in his chair
Now he's in heaven and down here in hell
Where the rivers run muddy and the mountains are bare

So Old King Coal what are we gonna do
When the mountains are gone and so are you?

Well now Old King Coal what are we gonna do
When the mountains are gone and so are you?

Copyright: Wixen Music Publishing
Writer(s): John Sturgill Simpson