Coal Tattoo

by Jim Croce , Judy Collins , Kingston Trio

COAL TATTOO
By: Billy Edd Wheeler
Kingston Trio, Judy Collins, Jim Croce
Key: Dm

-6   -6    -6    7   7-6  -6   -6
Trav-lin' down that coal-town road,
7    7  7  7  -7  -6    6     -6 
Lis-ten to my rub-ber tires whine;
-6   -6  -6  -6  -6  -6    7   -6  6  -6
Good-bye to Buck-eye and White Syc-a-more
7     7  -8  -7  6   -6
I'm leav-in' you be-hind.
7-8  8    8   9  8    7  -8 -88  8
Oh  I've been a coal man all my life 
8    8   -8    -8   8  -8   7-8
Lay-in' down tracks in the hole,
8  -8  7    6   6    6   6
Got a back like an iron-wood 
-6   6  -5    6
bent by the wind 
7       7    -7  -6  6   -6
Blood veins blue as the coal. 
7       7    -7   7 -7   -6
Blood veins blue as the coal. 

Somebody said "That's a strange tattoo 
You have on the side of your head."
I said "That's a blue print, left by the coal 
Just a little more and I'd be dead"
And I love the rumble and I love the dark 
I love the cool of the slate.
But it's on down the new road lookin' for a job 
It's the travelin' and lookin' I hate. 

I've stood for the union, walkin' the line,
Fought against the company;
Stood for the U. M. W. of A.
Now who's gonna stand for me?
I got no house and I got no pay,
Just got a worried soul;
And this blue tattoo on the side of my head 
Left by the number nine coal. 

Someday when I'm dead and gone 
To Heaven, the land of my dreams,
I won't have to worry on losin' my job 
To bad times 'n big machines.
I ain't gonna pay my money away 
For pensions and hospital plans.
I'm gonna pick coal where the blue heavens roll 
And sing with the angel bands.