"You'll never leave Harlan alive" Oh my grandfather's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountains Where he took a pretty girl to be his bride Said "Won't you walk with me out the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive" Where the sun comes up about ten in … I was born because my grandfather left Harlan alive. Why would you take away the job openings of those willing to work? It was used again in the final episode of the second season. "You'll never leave Harlan alive" Oh, my granddads dad crossed the Cumberland Mountains Where he took a pretty girl to be his bride Said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive?" Zac Brown Band Mango Tree. I was born because my grandfather left Harlan alive. Mining isn’t a safe profession either. They often struggle day in and day out just to “make ends meet” and they never give up. Important: The song above is NOT stored on the Chordie server.The original song is hosted at www.azchords.com.Chordie works as a search engine and provides on-the-fly formatting. Many successive generations have lived, worked and died in Harlan, unable to leave town due to the poverty and limited economic opportunities in the region. A lack of jobs, poverty, and drugs are just a few of the socioeconomic disadvantage which trouble a beautiful mountainous landscape. But the times, they got hard and tobacco wasn't selling And ole granddad knew what he'd do to survive He went and dug for Harlan coal Sent the money back to granny but he never left Harlan alive. Where the sun comes up about ten in … Non-lyrical content copyright 1999-2021 SongMeanings, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display, In the deep dark hills of eastern Kentucky, You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive song meanings. The lyrics referred to when you actually saw the Sun. It's also called Catron's Mountain not Katahrins. It is about the long and hard road that many coal miners in Harlan, Kentucky (and across this region) face. I can’t and won’t take sides in the great debate about the coal industry in Kentucky. My dad worked very briefly in the mines, and we lived in rural southwest Virginia while he did. It was a realistic fear for many mining families, which often had grandfathers, fathers, brothers, siblings, cousins, etc. You will never leave Harlan alive. Log in now to tell us what you think this song means. "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" as written by Darrell Scott, Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC. Includes Album Cover, Release Year, and User Reviews. Mining still helps sustain many families across the region. It isn’t be hard to be proud to be a coal miners (grand) daughter when you have a grandfather like him, and especially since he left Harlan alive! My great grandparents George Sr and Lucy Peace, and I believe their parents too are buried on a hillside in rural Harlan Kentucky. "You will never leave Harlan alive" Well my grandad's dad walked down Katahrin's Mountain And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride He said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive" Where the sun comes up about ten in … It has special meaning to me. You will never leave Harlan alive. In 2010, Brad Paisley's cover of the song "You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" was the closing song played on the TV drama Justified during the final scene of the final episode of the first season. BIANCULLI: That music, heard almost every year on "Justified" is so ominous, you expect things to end poorly. You will never leave Harlan alive. It is about the long and hard road that many coal miners in Harlan, Kentucky (and across this region) face. "deep dark HILLS" is probably correct, but I'm 99% sure it's also a double entendre and hearing "deep dark HELLS" was something the writer had in mind as a secondary connotation. It’s super easy, we promise! Nearly 13% of the employed population in Harlan works for the Coal industry. Said, won't you walk with me out of the mouth. "You will never leave Harlan alive" [Verse 2] Well my Granddaddy's dad crossed the Cumberland Mountain And he asked Nelly Hassell to be his bride Said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive" [Chorus] Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning And the sun goes down about three in the day Many of these miners died in these dangerous and unhealthy conditions, hence, "You will never leave Harlan alive". Especially in counties such as Harlan where according to the US census bureau 31% of residents live below poverty level , which is double the poverty average for the entire state. My grandfather suffers from Black Lung and melanoma, a lifetime in the mines is hard on the body. Features Song Lyrics for Dave Alvin's You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive (Single) album. Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive? Generations of miners have toiled in the Harlan County mines. Who doesn’t love a little US Marshall Raylan Givens? You will never leave Harlan alive Oh, my granddad's dad walked down Katahrins Mountain And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride Said, won't you walk with me out of the mouth Of this holler Or we'll never leave Harlan alive Where the sun comes up about ten in the morning And the sun goes down about three in … And the sun goes down about three in the day It's been used in Justified because it's set in Harlan County, Kentucky, but as far as I know it wasn't created for a movie. Date: October 27, 2001. Don’t have an account? "You will never leave Harlan alive" Well my grandad's dad walked down Katahrin's Mountain And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride He said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth of this holler or we'll never leave Harlan alive" Where the sun comes up about ten in … And he asked Tillie Helton to be his bride. It has special meaning to me. It has special meaning to me. Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. In the Holler ( Hollow for you city folks) Those Lyrics would have been spot on. It is about the long and hard road that many coal miners in Harlan, Kentucky (and across this region) face. They are plagued with the same problems that much of southeastern Kentucky is ridden with. Darrell Scott Heavy Is the Head. Mining kept my family in existence. Although Harlan and its residents aren’t portrayed in the most flattering light, it brought attention to an area I hold dear to my heart. 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