Muddy Coal Mine

Muddy Coal Mine
Rocky Alvey © 2005

There's a little place down in Saline County
In southern most part of Illinois
A sign on the road says the name is Muddy
But the Muddy Coal mines don't work no more
The Muddy Coal mine don't work no more

The tipple still stands like an ancient ruin
A monument to those who have gone inside
Witness to the souls who have descended
But never came up from the Muddy Coal Mine
Never came up from the Muddy Coal Mine

Well the Muddy Coal Mine gonna get my body
Muddy Coal Mine will be where I lay
Lord have mercy on the poor coal miners
Trading their lives for a 4 foot vein
Tradng their lives for a damned coal vein

Thirty men rode in the cage to the bottom
Walked half a mile to the new north face
The miners coming out when third shift ended
Said “boys you better stay on your toes today”
“The roof ain’t stable on the new north face”

The roof pinner hollered out, “watch out fellas”
Everybody heard that coal seam crack
The roof came down like the sound of thunder
Every single lamp in the mine went black
Every single lamp in the mine went black

Well Muddy coal mine gonna get my body
The Muddy Coal Mine will be where I lay
Lord have mercy on the poor coal miners
trading their lives for a 4 foot vein
trading their lives for a damned coal vein

There were thirteen bodies and 9 uncounted
Folks I had known since a way back when
A leg was sticking out of a pile of rubble
Steel toe boot belonged to my best friend
Damned coal vein took my best friend

Some men prayed that the drills would find us
I told em all boys “get your poor souls right”
Cause I caught a whiff of the sulfur fire
I knew that they were sealing that shaft up tight
Sealing us up in the Muddy Coal Mine

Lord You know that I've been grateful
For every blessing in my short life
But who will put the food on my family's table
Who is gonna comfort my heartbroke wife
I was praying for my family when my time arrived

If you ever take a trip down to Saline County
In southern most part of Illinois
If you pass through a town that the folks call Muddy
You remember why the Muddy Coal Mine is closed
You remember why the Muddy Coal Mine is closed

Well the Muddy Coal Mine done got my body
The Muddy Coal Mine is where I lay
Lord have mercy on the poor coal miners
Buried at the bottom of the mine that day
That concrete tipple is a coal man’s grave

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