[Intro]



[Verse 1]
            
Travelin' down

             
 that coal tow

    
n road
             
Listenin' to m

             
y steel wheels

  
 whine;
            
Goodbye to buc

             
keye and white

   
 sycamore
            
I'm leavin' yo

      
u behind
             
I've been a co

             
al man all my 

  
life
           
Layin' down tr

             
acks in the ho


le
             
Got a back lik

              
e an ironwood 

             
Bent by the wi


nd

           
Blood veins bl

            
ue as the coal
            
Blood veins bl

            
ue as the coal


[Verse 2]
            
Somebody said 

             
"That's a stra

         
nge tattoo
             
You have on th

             
e side of your

   
 head"
            
I said "That's

              
 the mark of t

             
he number nine

   
 coal
             
A little more 

            
and I'd be dea


d"
             
Still I love t

              
he rumble and 

            
I love the dar


k
           
I love the coo

          
l of the slate
             
But it's back 

              
down the road 

             
I go, lookin' 

       
for a job

            
It's travelin'

             
 and runnin' I

   
 hate
             
It's travelin'

             
 and runnin' I

    
 hate


[Verse 3]
            
Someday when I

             
 die and to He

        
aven I go
             
To Heaven the 

           
land of my dre

ams
            
I won't have t

              
o worry about 

          
losin' my job
             
To bad times a

            
nd big machine


s
             
Still I've got

              
 no job and I'

          
ve got no pay
           
Just got worry

      
ing Soul
             
And these blue

              
 tattoo on the

           
 side of my he

ad

            
Left by the nu

           
mber nine coal
            
Left by the nu

           
mber nine coal
            
Left by the nu

           
mber nine coal