"Black Lung" lyrics - STEVE EARLE

Sunrise lighting up a ridgetop
Slicing through the frost like a red-hot knife
Sometimes I'm dreaming I'm a running across
But I couldn't now to save my life
Hound dog, yipping in the holler
Musta jumped a bear, bubba listen to him run
Somebody oughta catch him by the collar
But I ain't going nowhere 'cause I'm down with black lung

[Chorus:]
Black lung never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'm a' lie here and die of black lung

Some days are better than the other ones
Sit out on the porch when it's cool at night
Can't say there ain't then but I'm some suffering
Every breath I take like a twelve round fight
Grandbabies out beneath the willow tree
Hollering and laughing, and it sound like fun
Can't pick 'em up, hug their necks anyway
Sorry honey Granddaddy's down with black lung

[Chorus:]
Black lung never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'm a' lie here and die of black lung

[Instrumental Verse]

It seemed like it was only yesterday
I pulled my first shift down a longwall mine
First breath of fresh air at the whistle
And I already knew it's just a matter of time
If I'd never been down in a coal mine
I'd live a lot longer, hell that ain't a close call
But then again I'd a' never had anything
And half a life is better than nothing at all

[Chorus:]
Black lung never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'm a' lie here and die of black lung

Black lung never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'm a' lie here and die of black lung

Black lung never gets better
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
Shotgun loaded in the corner
Reckon I'm a' lie here and die of black lung