Sunrise
Lighting up the ridge tops
Slicing through the frost
Like a red hot knife
Sometimes I'm dreaming I'm a running across
But I couldn't now to save my life
Hound dog, yipping in the holler
(?)
Brother, listen to him run
Somebody oughta catch him by the collar
But I ain't going nowhere
'Cause I'm down with black lung

Black lung
Never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'mma lay here and die of black lung

Someday's are better than the others
Sit out on the porch when it's cool at night
Can't say there ain't some suffering
Every breath I take like a twelve round fight
Grandbabies out beneath the willow tree
Hollering and laughing, and it sound like fun
Can't pick 'em up, hug 'em all, anyway
Sorry honey granddaddy's down with black lung

Black lung
Never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'mma lay here and die of black lung

It seemed like it was only yesterday
I pulled my first shift down a longwall mine
First breath of fresh air at the whistle
And I already knew it's just a matter of time
If I'd never been down in a coal mine
I'd live a lot longer, hell that ain't a close call
But then again I'd've never had anything
And half a life is better than nothing at all

Black lung
Never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'mma lay here and die of black lung

Black lung
Never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'mma lay here and die of black lung

Black lung
Never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'mma lay here and die of black lung

Copyright: Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Writer(s): Steve Earle