Sisters of the Coal Dust

I loved Mattie Heywood, Lord, with all my heart
We was married down in Green Ridge, that’s where we got our start
We tried our hand at farming, ran a feed store for a time
But like most men around here, Mattie went down in the mines
They said the pay was better, and you could make a life
Mattie brought home every dollar, back to me, his lovin’ wife

Oh, Sister, Sister, I see you walkin’ on the line
My Sisters of the Coal Dust, my daughters of the mine

The work was hot and dirty, it proved too much for some
But Mattie kept the spirit, while I kept our little home
On Sunday, we had chicken, and the neighbors would drop by
They’d sit out on the porch, just sippin’ on moonshine
Now Mattie played the guitar, his brother blowed the harp
And they’d sit there makin’ music, while twilight turned to dark

Oh, Sister, Sister, I see you walkin’ on the line
My Sisters of the Coal Dust, my daughters of the mine

Now the union come to tell us conditions wasn’t right
We need better pay and safety, or we need to go on strike
Mattie caught the fire, don’t ya know he led the way
And I never loved him more than the way he was that day
But evening brought the word, cave in at No. 9
There was nothin’ left to bury when I lost that Mattie mine

(Instrumental Chorus)

Now the Sisters, we got angry, the Sisters, we got sore
And we sent a bitter message that we wouldn’t stand for more
We was tired being hungry, we was tired of the lying
We was tired of our sons and husbands dying in the mine
We grabbed up signs and shovels, and we raised a mighty shout
My Mattie he was watchin’ down, while we made the Angels proud

Oh, Sister, Sister, I see you walkin’ on the line
My Sisters of the Coal Dust, my daughters of the mine