I come from the mountains, Kentucky's my home,
Where the wild deer and the black bear so lately did wrong.
By the cool rushing waterfall, the wild flowers dream,
And through every green valley there runs a clear stream.
Now there's scenes of destruction on every hand,
And only black water runs down through my land.
Sad scenes of destruction on every hand,
Black waters, black waters run down through my land.
Oh, the queen, she's a pretty bird, she sings a sweet tune,
In the roots of dark timber she nests with her young.
Then the hill side explodes with a dynamite's roar,
And the voice of the small bird is heard there no more.
Then the mountain comes tumbling so awful and grand,
As the poison black waters run down through my land.
Sad scenes of destruction on every hand,
Black waters, black waters run down through my land.
In the coming of the spring time we planted our corn,
In the ending of the spring time we buried our son.
In the summer come a nice man, says everything's fine,
My employer just requires a way to his mine.
Then he blew down the timber, covered my corn
And the grave on the hillside's a mile deeper down.
And the man stands and talks with his hat in his hand
As the poison black waters rise over my land.
Sad scenes of destruction on every hand,
Black waters, black waters run down through my land.
Now I don't have much money, not much of a home,
I own my own land, but my land's not my own.
But if I had ten million somewhere's there abouts,
I'd buy a pair of county and I'd drive them all out.
Then I'd sit on the bank with my babe and my can
And watch the clean waters run down through my land.
Oh, and that would be just like the old promised land,
Black waters, black waters no more in my land.
Black waters, black waters no more in my land.