Black Waters

I come from the mountains, Kentucky's my home, Where the wild deer and the black bear so lately did roam. By cool rushing waterfalls the wildflowers dream, And through every green valley there runs a clear stream. Now there's scenes of destruction on every hand, And there only black waters run down through my land. Sad scenes of destruction on every hand, Black waters, black waters run down through the land. Oh the quail, she's a pretty bird, she sings a sweet tongue. In the roots of the tall timber(s) she nests with her young. But the hillside explodes with the dynamite's roar And the voices of the small birds are will sound there no more; And the hillsides come a-sliding so awful and grand, And the flooding black waters rise over my land. (Refrain) In the rising of the springtime we planted our corn. In the ending of the springtime we buried a son. In the summer come a nice man, says, "Everything's fine. My employer just requires a way to his mine." Then they threw down the mountains and covered my corn, And the grave on the hillside's a mile deeper down, And the man stands and talks with his hat in his hand As the poisonous water spreads over my land. (Refrain) Well, I ain got no money, not much of a home. I own my own land, but my land's not my own. But, if I had ten million, somewhere thereabouts, I would buy Perry County and I'd run 'em all out! Set down on the bank with my bait in my can And just watch the clear waters run down through my land. Now, wouldn't that be like the old promised land? Black waters, black waters no more in our land. (Repeat final refrain)