Truckstop Souvenir: Music

• MP3 play whole song, hi-fi (broadband)

Based on the true story of a West Virginia activist fighting mountain top removal mining. Go to http://www.ilovemountains.org for more info.

I’ve lived in this holler nearly all of my life
These mountains are all that I know
My granddaddy saved for damn near thirty two years
Working in the mines below
I carried the lumber and I fetched the nails
Now this home place claims my soul
My granddaddy called it his heaven on earth
Said we should thank god for the coal

I love this holler like my granddaddy did
And I stayed here after he died
But Massey don’t care about these Appalachian hills
Just the black rock buried inside
The flood waters rushing from the mine above
Took my bridge and left me nothing but this hole
Well mister don’t tell me it’s an act of God
No for this I can thank the coal

Chorus:
They don’t see nothing but some hillbilly girl
With nothing worth fighting for
Got my granddaddy’s pistol and his Cherokee blood
And I ain’t gonna take it no more

The creek’s running black and the rock dust fills the air
The forest’s been bulldozed away
My barn’s swept under, now my orchard’s gone too
Gotta wonder why I stay
The riches and treasures of this land that I love
All been raped, ravaged or stole
My place ain’t worth but a dime anymore
And for this I can thank the coal

Chorus

This holler ain’t much like heaven anymore
But if I left who would I be
It’s been my home for over 37 years
Holds my life and my memories
You can blast all the mountains and bury all the streams
Let the land pay your dirty toll
You can bury me up in these hills that I love
But I ain’t leaving for the coal
Yeah you can bury me up in these hills that I love
But I ain’t leaving for the coal
No I ain’t leaving for the coal