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I come from the mountains, Kentucky's my home,

where the wild deer, the black bear so lately did roam.

By the cool rushing waterfalls the wild flowers dream

and in every green valley there runs a clear stream.

Now there's scenes of destruction

on every hand and only black waters

run down through my land.

Sad scenes of destruction on every hand,

black waters, black waters run down through my land.

Well the quail, she is a pretty bird, she sings a sweet tongue.

in the roots of the tall timber she nests with her young.

But the hillside explodes with a dynamite's roar and the

voices of the small birds will sound there no more.

And the mountain comes a sliding

so awful and grand and the flooding

black waters rise over 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 end of the spring time we buried our son.

In the summer comes a nice man who says everything's fine,

my employer just requires a way to his mine.

And they tore down the mountain and covered my corn

and the grave on the hillside a mile deeper down.

In the man stands a talking with his hat in his hands

and the poisonous black waters rise over my land.

Sad scenes of destruction on every hand,

black waters, black waters run down through my land.

Well I ain't got no money, not much of a home,

I own my own land but my land's not my own.

But if I had 10 billion or somewhere thereabouts

I'd buy Perry County and run 'em all out.

Sit on the banks with my bait and my can and

just watch the clear waters run down through my land.

Now wouldn't that be like the old promised land?

Black waters, black waters no more in my land.

Sad scenes of destruction on every hand,

black waters, black waters no more in my land.