The real version of this song is from Darrell Scott. You should always look to the origin (especially in country music) of the song. Look to the artists who create the music and just the ones who reproduce it at a cost. Support your local singer, song writers.
I love this song. It is haunting and true. My grandparents worked the coal in Grundy, Va. As an Appalachian artist in Floyd County, I take special notice of the coalminers lives and the beauty of Eastern Kentucky. I wouldnt live anywhere else.
I hate country, but I started listening to this, and burst into tears. Not entirely because of the lyrics, but because of the truth in her voice. Just now I looked over at the full moon outside my house, and cried harder. Thank you Patty Loveless!
@bessnog You don't hate country music if you love this song. Do yourself a favor and search out music by artists like George Jones, Ralph Stanley, Patsy Cline, Bill Monroe, Hank Williams (Senior), Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Alison Krauss, Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Clare Lynch and Ricky Skaggs. If you can come back here and still say you hate country music I'll admit that I'm wrong about you. My guess is that your mind will be changed. Search out the good stuff, avoid the mediocre.
OKAY! Lets go brotha. I said something nice about this song!!!!
ps, this is Claire, not Andie, she likes country.
and I would've replied earlier,, but I took too much being the better persopn and taking every one of your idioticall requests!! Oh yeah, and you were wrong about me, I still hate all this freaking country poop. That Right! I don't curse.
Very hard to describe Eastern Kentucky unless you grew up Eastern Kentucky. If by chance you're ever through here, might want to stop and take a good look. The man from up north is always taking something and we're not gettn any smarter, you'll never leave Eastern Kentucky alive.
@aslewis72 I live in South Eastern Ky. Might wanna know that we are not a southern state, we are above the mason dixon line. just thought you might like to know that.
I've had the honor of seeing the man who wrote this,Darrell Scott,perform it live at Hippie Jack's music festival in Crawford TN. Let me tell you he aint a one hit wonder. The man is incredible!
My ex and my 14 year old daughter still live in Harlan County to this day. I barely got out of that God forsaken place. But I PRAY every night that my daughter leaves Harlan alive!!
This Darrell Scott song has been recorded by many artists, notably Brad Paisley and Kathy Mattea, but I bet there's dozens more out there. One of the best songs about Coal Country ever written.
i love this place i came here with my brother for NAT GEO to take photos of the miners and that time i was only eight but somehow i fell in love with that place i live in Prague but this place is an American treasure but they are losing it piece by piece to coal mining corporations. this place is the roots of America. and soon it cease to exist. LOVE AND PIECE
I've had 4 Generations mine coal in Phelps KY. My Dad left in the 50's. to work in the D. I'm still working in the D alot but can't forget my root's.
WeDaBestUK2K If a native of Eastern Kentucky leaves the area and becomes successful elsewhere and then return to the mountains to live, would she or he catch hell for it? Or would they be welcomed back?
@mdtrn my grangpa work the harlan mines, and he try to out run ky, but he never out ran theBLACK LUNG. and he suffered for many years, so you could said harlan took him to his grave. I LOVE YOU GRANDDAD.
"When the sun comes up, about 10 in the mornin' and the sun goes down, about 3 in the day" That's how it is up my mamaw's. :) I never get tired of this song ^-^
i seen on here sumone said that we speak the oldest form of english its true , i dealt with people my whole life makin' fun of my accent when i travel , but like my mom said before she died she said fer me to never be ashamed of my accent er where i was from ,so if sumone says you talk wrong er funny then tellem! dont be ashamed tellem they should shake are hands n thank us fer perservin' history with are way a talkin' im a proud West Virginian,so teach others r culture be proud!hillbilly proud!
im from the charleston area of West Virginia(the state)west by god should i say,i grew up as a teen in florida i didnt really listin' ta country much the thing then was nirvana n pearl jam but when id hear dwight yoakum er patty loveless er the judds somethin drew me to it n id find my self almost bout ta tear up sumthin' really hit me when i heard mountain soul music....i got in my 20s n looked up where them singers was from n then i knew why i was drawn to that sound its in my blood.
My family's farmed or mined coal for six generations. This song just reminds me why I'm proud to be from Kentucky. Coal company's trying to buy my grandad out right now and he won't budge. Just a piece of dirt to them, but it's his whole life. He lived off that land and raised his family there, built his house with his own two hands. I thank god I'm from Kentucky and I even get the chance to see someone with that much character and soul. It's what's missing from this country today.
To THESLEEPINGIANT86, I agree with you completely. I'm a "ya you betcha" Minnesotan and I've had two personal experiences with folks from Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Tennessee. They were the nicest, most laid back people. With a sense of pride that wasn't cocky or faked. It's as they were perfectly happy being who they were, in there own skin.
@TBaker1964 - In the 2010's, yes that would be an accurate description for the vast majority of southeast KY. But our grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on are some of the toughest working, and most dedicated people the human race has ever seen. It truly is a shame that within only a couple generations how much the moral fiber of my region has deteriorated.
@yowermutha its a shame, meth is a plague, tearing up everything. theres only a few places in america that are so culturally rich such as the appalaichias (bad spelling lol)
Im from North Centeral Indiana but i have been all over the States and i tell ya that i love Kentucky all most as much as Indiana. More Importantly i Love the Midwest. This song makes me think of all the little towns throughout the Midwest were folks our born,live,work,and die. Great song.
@jdd32384 U got that right i dont care what people say about me i'm very southren and dig coal for a living. And respect anyone that does, and our troops & god!
patty loveless, brad paisley and daryl scott......i can't even pick a favorite since they all sound so different. simply depends on my mood which one i listen to. this is defiantly the most haunting version.....life feels like sad song tonight, so this'll do fine
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 they only call us "backwards" because we'll nod our heads at the very least rather than put our noses in the air, proud to be a blue collar gentleman rather than a white collar snob
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 Now m8 im not disagreeing with you or anything. I'm not from the states and i don't know the situation there but i want to address one thing you said. you said you speak the purest form of english in the states. That's technically incorrect seen as english didn't originate there and it's constantly morphing. For example, the way we speak now would be almost incomprehendable to someone who's spoken english all his life in Elizabethen London and visa versa.
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 Purest form of English? I live in Greenup County, Kentucky, and I can without a doubt say that your statements are true as far as peoples' attitudes are generally concerned. People are friendly, yes, but the majority of people speak a very butchered and improper form of English. The only pure form of English is the proper, actual way the rules of grammar allow. Slang and dialect absolutely do not count as pure English. Though, your poor use of commas stands as a testament.
This takes me back to sitting in Denver hearing Jim with the $500 tie tell me how he'd taught the hillbilly coal miners “whose mine it was” when he busted up a strike with scabs. I explained that I’d lost two great grandfathers and a grandfather to those mines and from were I sat, “ownership” is sometimes more than deed. Until that time, my deepest yearning had been to leave those hills; it quickly morphed into getting back. I’m back now. Won't be leaving again.
@KRLAvsRule Too bad you couldn't work both into your life. The world isn't full of $500 tie Jims. Some of us are real genuine human beings, even here in these cities. I took a tour thru some of those mountains a few years ago. I was disappointed by the commercialization. I live here in the west where we have MOUNTAINS. Something to be said for both
Assuming you truly believe what you wrote, you need to brush up on your history - particularly labor unrest in the last half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th. Comparing current public-sector union action to the coal wars is like comparing acne to cancer. Anyone drawing such comparisons is engaging in hyperbole or displaying their ignorance, either of which damages the credibility of any subsequent statements that person makes.
You're comparing over-paid unionized government workers feeding at the public trough to hard-working, poverty-stricken people in KY? My friend, I doubt either you or your public- sector union friends are fit to clean boots in Harlan. Sad.
@Wolf38357 People who are fighting for their livelihood are the same regardless of the livelihood they fight for. Just because we're told they're overpaid doesn't make it so. Back in the day paying your workers enough to rent a room AND put shrapnel in their pockets was considered overpaid by the owners...
They say in Harlan County, There are no neutrals there. You'll either be a Union man or a thug for JH Blair. They say up in Wisconsin, as Walker's lies provoke, you'll either be a union man or a thug for David Koch.
I'm proud to be a born and raised Harlan County girl!!!! It's one of the most beautiful places in the world. Beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers!! Great people, and the best cooking ever! We may not be understood by the outside world, but that's alright cause we sure don't understand you either!!! But if you come on down here, and you treat us with respect, you can guarantee you'll be treated better than you ever have in your life!! We're good folks!! And the best 4wheeler riding in the US!
Every large enough group of people will be attacked by someone willing to judge by extreme examples. All southerners are dumb and backwards. All citygoers are stuck up and ignorant. Politicians are corrupt and self-serving. Blacks are opportunistic backstabbers looking for whatever semblance of decadence they can make for themselves. Hispanics steal jobs and sell drugs. Christians are cruel and hateful. Muslims are taught to kill for god. And youtube commenters are idiots.
@Sharpevil your forgetting that the japenese like tenticles, the scottish hump sheep, the irish like beer, the canadians all watch curling, americas are all fat, the chinese can't drive, the koreans have small peni. . . XD Were all people dude :) instinct teaches us to hate the fuck out of anything that doesent resemble what we see in the mirror O.o
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 I'm from Phila Pa area, and taught history. I've come to admire and respect the people of your part of the US who have the traits you mentioned. People forget that Dolly P., Dwight Yoakam, Brad Paisley and many others as well as Patty L ..and just regular hard working people from that area are some the best people on this earth. I'm proud that this part of the USA has a strong culture and exemplifies some of the best in America.
That's the thing with coal towns everywhere. You leave when you can or resign yourself to a life of no hope because the boom of yesteryear is long gone.A lot of people here seem to be missing the point of the song.
It's not about wanting to stay. It's about getting trapped. The time's a changin' and you either move with them or you're done. Have pride in where you're from and what your ancestors did but these places are long dead. Hence they have by far the highest poverty rates around .
I wasnt born in Kentucky, and When i left home at 18 i landed in Williamsburg Kentucky, which is Eastern Kentucky about 100 miles from Harlan and I thought i was going to hate, Ill never forget the girl that said, once you get here you will never want to leave, I laughed at the time, but now as i have joined the military and been stationed elsewhere i cant wait to back home to my friends, mountains and hollers, makes me miss home, and i hope i never have to leave Kentucky alive once i get back
@sweeney13todd I feel ya I'm from Eastern Kentucky just a few counties over from Harlan and to know that this song relates to not just to us and to people living in similar areas, but to others even out of the country makes me feel like it's a small world after all.
Patty Loveless wails this song truthfully, lovingly, and hauntingly- Don't be scared of something you know nothing about... She's not singing of the ghettos of the big city, she sings about "small folk" that she loves and knows... These people may have been scared of the big world outside of their world, but in their world, their love filled every dark place...
@WeDaBestUK2K oh yea man my entire family is from eastern kentucky.......elkhorn city and pikeville.......ill be moving to elkhorn here before christmas
have you ever been to harlan? this song is so true, and nobody can sing it like she can. and a lot of the old time singers,this is a beautiful album, wouldn't take nothing for mine.
This song keeps me going. I listen to it on the drive back from Mount Sterling where I stay a lot of the time, never on the way. So when I do come home to a different county, not Harlan, but close, it reminds me that I'm working towards something better than the coal fields. I do thank the miners though, especially my dad, for working in the mines when that was the only way to support your family! Thank you for singing this inspirational and haunting song.
This is a powerful song-in that it makes you really feel the hard times that these people endured. Patty couldn't have done it any better. It gives me tears when I listen to it. I wonder if she is really singing about her family, since she is from Kentucky. We listened to her CD as we vacationed near Pineville (a town she mentions in the song) Well done Patty and Thank you!
Harlan is where my parents were born and raised, myself and two older brothers were born and lived there also. My Great Grandfather owned and operated a coal mine there until his business partner shot and killed my Grandfather in Cold Blood.
yeah, sleepinggiant. it's in my blood, too. White Sulphur Springs, WVa. my grandfather had a permanent limp from battling the Pinkertons. don't'ya think those beautiful old mountains with all their mysteries give those of us who were born there a seer's view of things, that maybe scares other people sometimes? but adds to our understanding of Life and Love and Goodness in ways that can't be found otherwise? sure, we've got our 'issues' like everyone. We're not saints. or are we? ; )
I once had girl from Pineville KY. Her family's history is nearly identical to this song's narative. My one visit to Pineville in 1971 was interesting. Of note from the trip: you could buy drugs and alcohal frm the sheriff in Pineville, the mayor threatened to have me killed because he thought I might be a Federal agent, and constable Rielly, the town drunk gave me a parking ticket written on a piece of construction paper, he threated to shoot me if I didn't pay. But wait! there's more. . .
Sir! I want you to know that you've just said a mouthful. I'm in total agreement with what you've just spoken.
I've been around these United States, and I can say unashamedly say that the kindest, most generous folk seem to come from the Appalachian regions. I like the culture and I like the people here and I like the beautiful mountains. Well said sir!
This is it. This is the song that shows off Patty Loveless's stunning vocal ability. I saw her perform this live back when they were doing the Down From The Mountain tour. I think she had either the Del McCoury Band or Union Station backing her. That was easily the single most amazing musical experience I've had (and I go to a LOT of concerts). Combine absolute top-shelf musicianship with Patty's soulful singing was just... wow wow wow. She named her album right, "Mountain Soul".
I saw her on that tour as well. Where did you see that show at? I saw her in Charleston, WV. Remember Rodney Crowell narrating the show? It was a great experience wasn't it.
I saw the show in Toronto, Canada. Rodney Crowell was a perfect MC for it. Not many know this music's history better than him! A memorable experience all around.
Lost two Grandfathers to the coal mines......I'm from Harlan county and proud to be. This song is very fitting and hauntingly performed. Poor people just rying to survive and provide for their families. May God bless all that have and are still digging coal.
didnt daryl scott write this song? he should have been the one who was on cmt with the video of this and people should know his name.. country musc song writers need to band together and say "enough is enough. if you want my song then you can sign me and my band"
@welshpenguin wow, can't believe the UK is so simialar to the US when it comes to names of towns, this song is about Harlan Kentucky, but glad you can relate to it as well.
@spacy572 - Southeast Kentucky is full of the descendents of English settlers. The towns are named after lots of English towns.
London, KY is about 10 miles north of my town, my mom is from Middlesborough, KY (a bit different spelling of Midddlesbrough. There is a Manchester a few miles east of London, and Somerset to the west.
Where I live in West Virginia, USA. The state is composed mainly of Scotch-Irish descendants. About 90% of the state's population is made up of those ethnic groups. Coal mining is it in W. Virginia. It provides good incomes to our people, but it's dirty and dangerous work, still miners are a proud, proud people. They love their jobs mostly. I respect them immensely for the work they do. I respect anyone that does an honest days work...that's why I hate politicians so much! N8
It's funny that you would mention "right-wing governments" destroying the industry. It's just the opposite here in the US now. The left-wing enviro-nuts are killing the coal industry here, or at least, trying too.
My mom had "the pleasure" of meeting Maggie back in the early 90's here in the US. She still has a photo taken with her.
Oldest, not purest...English isn't even properly a language, cobbled together from its German roots with bits of Latin and the old British language of Cornwall, Wales & Brittany - add to that the effects of the Empire. But for sure you guys are closer to the likes of John Cabot than anyone else around.
My father just passed away and were burying him today I can't even express the emotions this song brings up as we always listened to it driving to all our Kentucky fishing trips....I love you dad R.I.P
I'm not that into country unless it's done well and in the true *spirit* of country. The kind of country that tells a story, like this song. It hearkens the originals, artists like Gene Autry and Johnny Cash; even if Autry was a cheerful cowboy, his song 'Daddy of Mine' (think that's it) brings out the same kind of emotions. Anyway, I can sing pretty good, karaoke, all that, but whenever I try to sing this song, just the first line makes my throat tense and eyes tear up. So sad, so gorgeous.
This song hooked me out of the blue. ABC was having some sort of special and I heard a snippet of this song from the next room. I spent (literally) the next 6 hours trying to track down just who this was!! Lot of other people were as well based on the sites I ran across.
@phusionsa Omg, I did that too--the story about the Kentucky poor! I cried like an idiot watching that, and posted all the parts in my journal (it was a YT user that'd posted it, I don't have TV). I found the song here, just like you. How music connects us all, huh? :)
When i first moved to Williamsburg, Kentucky (70 miles from Harlan) i had never been exposed to true bluegrass and at first i hated Kentucky, after awhile though i couldnt get enough of either.. Harlan, Williamsburg, Pineville, Corbin, that whole area im in love with and i will go back someday. This song remnds me of that everytime.. Thank you Whitney Stark for introducing me to this and teaching me to find the beauty in all of it.. (You still sing this better with Haley though) :)
there is no video, it is just the song. and everyone is entitled to an opinion. this is still America, we dont make everyone have the same opinions. I have no clue who likes it nor doesnt like it, and it doesn't matter in the least.
@mossplates The song is about a simpler time, not written in a simpler time.
In a time before welfare, food stamps, unemployment, and terrorists... All you had to do to survive was an honest days work. If it were like that today, the world would be a better place.
I'm from NC by the way. Not a coal miner, but some of my friends are from WV (sons and grandsons of miners.) I have the deepest respect for anyone tough enough to do that job to keep the trains running and food on their table and mine.
As the daughter of a Harlan County Coal Miner, this touches me deep in my soul - my Daddy took his last breath in July of 2004 - his last breaths didn't come easy, he suffered from Black Lung disease but amazingly led an active life until the very end. I'm very proud to be a Harlan County native but even more proud to be my Daddy's daughter...
@moonshinerunner1, For some reason I put aren't..I mean we are a southern state...
pampetie1 4 days ago
The real version of this song is from Darrell Scott. You should always look to the origin (especially in country music) of the song. Look to the artists who create the music and just the ones who reproduce it at a cost. Support your local singer, song writers.
gamjammer 1 week ago
@pampetie I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but the US Census Bureau does define Kentucky as a Southern state.
moonshinerunner1 2 weeks ago
I love this song. It is haunting and true. My grandparents worked the coal in Grundy, Va. As an Appalachian artist in Floyd County, I take special notice of the coalminers lives and the beauty of Eastern Kentucky. I wouldnt live anywhere else.
wolfdance54 2 weeks ago
@kelthuzad126, might wanna check where the mason Dixon line is before u say we aren't southern state..because we are a southern state.
pampetie 2 weeks ago
I hate country, but I started listening to this, and burst into tears. Not entirely because of the lyrics, but because of the truth in her voice. Just now I looked over at the full moon outside my house, and cried harder. Thank you Patty Loveless!
bessnog 1 month ago 4
@bessnog You don't hate country music if you love this song. Do yourself a favor and search out music by artists like George Jones, Ralph Stanley, Patsy Cline, Bill Monroe, Hank Williams (Senior), Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Alison Krauss, Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Clare Lynch and Ricky Skaggs. If you can come back here and still say you hate country music I'll admit that I'm wrong about you. My guess is that your mind will be changed. Search out the good stuff, avoid the mediocre.
1948jay 1 month ago 2
@1948jay
preach it brother
mrhipsterdoofus 1 week ago
@1948jay
OKAY! Lets go brotha. I said something nice about this song!!!!
ps, this is Claire, not Andie, she likes country.
and I would've replied earlier,, but I took too much being the better persopn and taking every one of your idioticall requests!! Oh yeah, and you were wrong about me, I still hate all this freaking country poop. That Right! I don't curse.
bessnog 1 week ago
@bessnog What in the world did I say that seems to have offended you?
1948jay 3 days ago
@bessnog
Bless your heart bess. You defined real country music perfectly with your comment. "Truth in her voice" precisely.
mrhipsterdoofus 1 week ago
born and raised in harlan co. my dad,both my grandpa's were coal miners, my dad died of black lung at age 54., my 2 brothers and me got out of there.
mikeandrew1962 1 month ago
12 people didn't leave Harlan alive. I did, though.
jayellpee1 2 months ago
Very hard to describe Eastern Kentucky unless you grew up Eastern Kentucky. If by chance you're ever through here, might want to stop and take a good look. The man from up north is always taking something and we're not gettn any smarter, you'll never leave Eastern Kentucky alive.
aslewis72 2 months ago 3
@aslewis72 I live in South Eastern Ky. Might wanna know that we are not a southern state, we are above the mason dixon line. just thought you might like to know that.
Kelthuzad126 4 weeks ago
I've had the honor of seeing the man who wrote this,Darrell Scott,perform it live at Hippie Jack's music festival in Crawford TN. Let me tell you he aint a one hit wonder. The man is incredible!
seymourbbest 3 months ago
Patty Loveless just owns this song.
TideNTN 3 months ago 2
You'll never leave Harlan, but the mountains are leaving a piece at a time in those long coal trains heading out...........
prs48 4 months ago
My ex and my 14 year old daughter still live in Harlan County to this day. I barely got out of that God forsaken place. But I PRAY every night that my daughter leaves Harlan alive!!
GBeret83 4 months ago
@GBeret83 why'd you leave?
SHAKOORK 3 months ago in playlist Resting songs
@SHAKOORK, Too many drugs, and too much love for those drugs. I chose life!!
GBeret83 3 months ago
This Darrell Scott song has been recorded by many artists, notably Brad Paisley and Kathy Mattea, but I bet there's dozens more out there. One of the best songs about Coal Country ever written.
hooeybrown 4 months ago
i love this place i came here with my brother for NAT GEO to take photos of the miners and that time i was only eight but somehow i fell in love with that place i live in Prague but this place is an American treasure but they are losing it piece by piece to coal mining corporations. this place is the roots of America. and soon it cease to exist. LOVE AND PIECE
isninoismymom 4 months ago
im from eastern kentucky! i wouldnt leave here for nothin
123gnelson 4 months ago
Patty Loveless ought to be considered an American treasure. Why is she not, when so much shlock gets hyped? The perennial question I guess.
itzikbasman1 4 months ago 2
I am singign this at my school talent show
yoridevynbestiez 4 months ago
@yoridevynbestiez Good luck! or hope it went well!
1borrachos 4 months ago
@yoridevynbestiez you picked a great song--hope you did well
samthedandiedinmont 3 months ago in playlist PATTY LOVELESS
I've had 4 Generations mine coal in Phelps KY. My Dad left in the 50's. to work in the D. I'm still working in the D alot but can't forget my root's.
singlechuck 5 months ago
WeDaBestUK2K If a native of Eastern Kentucky leaves the area and becomes successful elsewhere and then return to the mountains to live, would she or he catch hell for it? Or would they be welcomed back?
EmeraldTriangle80 5 months ago in playlist Appalachia
This song is so right on, my son died in the mines in 2006, I tried to get him to leave Harlan but he never did alive, so this song hits home for me.
mdtrn 5 months ago 3
@mdtrn Sympathies from this stranger.
Kcjdf 4 months ago
@mdtrn my grangpa work the harlan mines, and he try to out run ky, but he never out ran theBLACK LUNG. and he suffered for many years, so you could said harlan took him to his grave. I LOVE YOU GRANDDAD.
TheTrigger900 4 months ago
@ATSMFblog Jamestown VA was settled 16 years or so before the Mayflower arrived in Massachusetts.
jdd32384 5 months ago
Patty sings this from deep within...
kilroyishere1 5 months ago
"When the sun comes up, about 10 in the mornin' and the sun goes down, about 3 in the day" That's how it is up my mamaw's. :) I never get tired of this song ^-^
TheLittlerFiddler25 5 months ago 2
i love this song <3
TheHayleysmusic 6 months ago
So wow
TurnAround102 6 months ago
Born in Harlan, moved out west. Once a hillbilly always a hillbilly.
teacupmymecup 6 months ago 6
Chills.......
letsgofiver 6 months ago
Mountain Soul!!!
bluegrasslives60 7 months ago 2
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 Amen
kentucky6 7 months ago
This song is outstanding.
kentucky6 7 months ago 2
i seen on here sumone said that we speak the oldest form of english its true , i dealt with people my whole life makin' fun of my accent when i travel , but like my mom said before she died she said fer me to never be ashamed of my accent er where i was from ,so if sumone says you talk wrong er funny then tellem! dont be ashamed tellem they should shake are hands n thank us fer perservin' history with are way a talkin' im a proud West Virginian,so teach others r culture be proud!hillbilly proud!
MCrouch1984 7 months ago 2
im from the charleston area of West Virginia(the state)west by god should i say,i grew up as a teen in florida i didnt really listin' ta country much the thing then was nirvana n pearl jam but when id hear dwight yoakum er patty loveless er the judds somethin drew me to it n id find my self almost bout ta tear up sumthin' really hit me when i heard mountain soul music....i got in my 20s n looked up where them singers was from n then i knew why i was drawn to that sound its in my blood.
MCrouch1984 7 months ago
My family's farmed or mined coal for six generations. This song just reminds me why I'm proud to be from Kentucky. Coal company's trying to buy my grandad out right now and he won't budge. Just a piece of dirt to them, but it's his whole life. He lived off that land and raised his family there, built his house with his own two hands. I thank god I'm from Kentucky and I even get the chance to see someone with that much character and soul. It's what's missing from this country today.
pradkins306 7 months ago
the south has suffered more than its share. i know that the mountain folk are
a proud, strong people and dont have much in worldly possessions, but they are
pure americans. God bless them all.
sweetytwome2 7 months ago 2
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 "our culture in appalachia, kentucky"
Try visiting west virginia, then.
Lolyoucrackers 8 months ago
@Lolyoucrackers its pretty much the same... lol well in floyd co anyway.
astackett2 7 months ago
I love this song and to me it's pretty cool on reason being I live In ky
2001Rebekah 8 months ago
my family has worked in the mines for genrations
jesseray48 8 months ago
To THESLEEPINGIANT86, I agree with you completely. I'm a "ya you betcha" Minnesotan and I've had two personal experiences with folks from Eastern Kentucky and Eastern Tennessee. They were the nicest, most laid back people. With a sense of pride that wasn't cocky or faked. It's as they were perfectly happy being who they were, in there own skin.
EmeraldTriangle80 8 months ago
Comment removed
TBaker1964 8 months ago
@TBaker1964 - In the 2010's, yes that would be an accurate description for the vast majority of southeast KY. But our grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on are some of the toughest working, and most dedicated people the human race has ever seen. It truly is a shame that within only a couple generations how much the moral fiber of my region has deteriorated.
yowermutha 8 months ago
@yowermutha its a shame, meth is a plague, tearing up everything. theres only a few places in america that are so culturally rich such as the appalaichias (bad spelling lol)
RememberSoCal 8 months ago
@TBaker1964 Thats not just eastern ky. dumbass just get out and look around thats everywhere this day and time!
REVLILLY 8 months ago
@TBaker1964 fuck you
jesseray48 8 months ago
Bell county resident here, born and raised in Pathfork - Harlan County. The coal is in my blood and I couldn't be more proud.
Erik0072 8 months ago 2
Im from North Centeral Indiana but i have been all over the States and i tell ya that i love Kentucky all most as much as Indiana. More Importantly i Love the Midwest. This song makes me think of all the little towns throughout the Midwest were folks our born,live,work,and die. Great song.
johnblack99999 8 months ago
@johnblack99999 Kentucky ain't the Midwest. It's the South. It's true, it's damn true.
jdd32384 5 months ago 17
@jdd32384 U got that right i dont care what people say about me i'm very southren and dig coal for a living. And respect anyone that does, and our troops & god!
jordanhall91 3 weeks ago
patty loveless, brad paisley and daryl scott......i can't even pick a favorite since they all sound so different. simply depends on my mood which one i listen to. this is defiantly the most haunting version.....life feels like sad song tonight, so this'll do fine
ThePapabear27 8 months ago 2
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 they only call us "backwards" because we'll nod our heads at the very least rather than put our noses in the air, proud to be a blue collar gentleman rather than a white collar snob
bulldogkyle2007 8 months ago 2
@bulldogkyle2007 I couldn't agree more.
dawnofthedeadling 8 months ago
true blood
kilroyishere1 8 months ago
cool beans.
yoyowassup13 8 months ago
I cant understand - is Harlan in Western KY or Eastern KY? Song takes me away
AlterEgoEast 8 months ago
@AlterEgoEast Eastern
ch0ppedliver 8 months ago
@AlterEgoEast Eastern.
dawnofthedeadling 8 months ago
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 Now m8 im not disagreeing with you or anything. I'm not from the states and i don't know the situation there but i want to address one thing you said. you said you speak the purest form of english in the states. That's technically incorrect seen as english didn't originate there and it's constantly morphing. For example, the way we speak now would be almost incomprehendable to someone who's spoken english all his life in Elizabethen London and visa versa.
1nsp1r4t10n4l 8 months ago
i was born in harlan ky and im dam proud of it.
bnsf7512 8 months ago
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 Purest form of English? I live in Greenup County, Kentucky, and I can without a doubt say that your statements are true as far as peoples' attitudes are generally concerned. People are friendly, yes, but the majority of people speak a very butchered and improper form of English. The only pure form of English is the proper, actual way the rules of grammar allow. Slang and dialect absolutely do not count as pure English. Though, your poor use of commas stands as a testament.
UltraGnash 8 months ago
This takes me back to sitting in Denver hearing Jim with the $500 tie tell me how he'd taught the hillbilly coal miners “whose mine it was” when he busted up a strike with scabs. I explained that I’d lost two great grandfathers and a grandfather to those mines and from were I sat, “ownership” is sometimes more than deed. Until that time, my deepest yearning had been to leave those hills; it quickly morphed into getting back. I’m back now. Won't be leaving again.
KRLAvsRule 8 months ago 12
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@KRLAvsRule There's no place like home.
dawnofthedeadling 8 months ago
@KRLAvsRule Too bad you couldn't work both into your life. The world isn't full of $500 tie Jims. Some of us are real genuine human beings, even here in these cities. I took a tour thru some of those mountains a few years ago. I was disappointed by the commercialization. I live here in the west where we have MOUNTAINS. Something to be said for both
jerdeb4evr 2 months ago
No place like home!!!:)And Kentucky will always be where my heart and soul is!!!!
scarlett5561 3 weeks ago in playlist dave evans
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Music that makes you want to kill yourself.
TobakEnthusiast 8 months ago
@holysin1
Assuming you truly believe what you wrote, you need to brush up on your history - particularly labor unrest in the last half of the 19th century and first half of the 20th. Comparing current public-sector union action to the coal wars is like comparing acne to cancer. Anyone drawing such comparisons is engaging in hyperbole or displaying their ignorance, either of which damages the credibility of any subsequent statements that person makes.
Wolf38357 8 months ago
@Wolf38357
i assume you were there and remember the struggle?
jnewman74 8 months ago
she has beauitful voice
aazz00018 8 months ago
I feel no one should song this song except the writer and people who originated from Harlan. This song is truly deep.
peltee1 8 months ago
@peltee1 - It's a good thing your feelings don't determine what people are allowed to do.
ironbuttbiker 8 months ago
@QuietReckoning
You're comparing over-paid unionized government workers feeding at the public trough to hard-working, poverty-stricken people in KY? My friend, I doubt either you or your public- sector union friends are fit to clean boots in Harlan. Sad.
Wolf38357 9 months ago
@Wolf38357 People who are fighting for their livelihood are the same regardless of the livelihood they fight for. Just because we're told they're overpaid doesn't make it so. Back in the day paying your workers enough to rent a room AND put shrapnel in their pockets was considered overpaid by the owners...
holysin1 8 months ago 3
I know my roots come from eastern Kentucky and I couldn't be prouder.
jayprewitt 9 months ago
I just heard this song on the tv show justified and it think it's awesome I love the bluegrass sound
FORDcountry4x4 9 months ago 3
Justified
bookerchris 9 months ago 33
They say in Harlan County, There are no neutrals there. You'll either be a Union man or a thug for JH Blair. They say up in Wisconsin, as Walker's lies provoke, you'll either be a union man or a thug for David Koch.
Which side are you on?
QuietReckoning 9 months ago
i left harlan in pre-k and i am not deceased
adamtockstein 9 months ago
@adamtockstein did Harlan ever leave you?
cynderthedragoness99 9 months ago
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 i left there in the middle of second grade an i still love it ;)
NejiLover10199 9 months ago
I'm proud to be a born and raised Harlan County girl!!!! It's one of the most beautiful places in the world. Beautiful mountains, lakes, rivers!! Great people, and the best cooking ever! We may not be understood by the outside world, but that's alright cause we sure don't understand you either!!! But if you come on down here, and you treat us with respect, you can guarantee you'll be treated better than you ever have in your life!! We're good folks!! And the best 4wheeler riding in the US!
thankfulforgiven 10 months ago 6
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86
Every large enough group of people will be attacked by someone willing to judge by extreme examples. All southerners are dumb and backwards. All citygoers are stuck up and ignorant. Politicians are corrupt and self-serving. Blacks are opportunistic backstabbers looking for whatever semblance of decadence they can make for themselves. Hispanics steal jobs and sell drugs. Christians are cruel and hateful. Muslims are taught to kill for god. And youtube commenters are idiots.
Sharpevil 10 months ago
@Sharpevil your forgetting that the japenese like tenticles, the scottish hump sheep, the irish like beer, the canadians all watch curling, americas are all fat, the chinese can't drive, the koreans have small peni. . . XD Were all people dude :) instinct teaches us to hate the fuck out of anything that doesent resemble what we see in the mirror O.o
kevlarsniper1 10 months ago 2
@kevlarsniper1
Oh, I didn't forget. I just ran out of characters.
Sharpevil 10 months ago
@kevlarsniper1 its actually the Welsh who shag sheep, hence the term a SHEEPSHAGGER. jus thought id clear that up.
sexysekhon 9 months ago
Roger, this is what I meant about Patty Loveless. This, and "If My Heart Had Windows," could be her 2 best.
musicmandon1 10 months ago
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 I'm from Phila Pa area, and taught history. I've come to admire and respect the people of your part of the US who have the traits you mentioned. People forget that Dolly P., Dwight Yoakam, Brad Paisley and many others as well as Patty L ..and just regular hard working people from that area are some the best people on this earth. I'm proud that this part of the USA has a strong culture and exemplifies some of the best in America.
Yermak29 10 months ago 6
That's the thing with coal towns everywhere. You leave when you can or resign yourself to a life of no hope because the boom of yesteryear is long gone.A lot of people here seem to be missing the point of the song.
It's not about wanting to stay. It's about getting trapped. The time's a changin' and you either move with them or you're done. Have pride in where you're from and what your ancestors did but these places are long dead. Hence they have by far the highest poverty rates around .
TheKimKallstrom 10 months ago 2
5 people have no idea.
pilotman83 10 months ago 2
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 Sounds like somewhere I'd like to visit =)
Xander667 10 months ago
I wasnt born in Kentucky, and When i left home at 18 i landed in Williamsburg Kentucky, which is Eastern Kentucky about 100 miles from Harlan and I thought i was going to hate, Ill never forget the girl that said, once you get here you will never want to leave, I laughed at the time, but now as i have joined the military and been stationed elsewhere i cant wait to back home to my friends, mountains and hollers, makes me miss home, and i hope i never have to leave Kentucky alive once i get back
Flintstone116 10 months ago 3
@Flintstone116
wow <3
lovelykatillia 10 months ago
i don't know why, but this song really made me burst into silent tears
i'm not american, but i felt every hidden place everywhere in this earth and how they suffer but they still have big hearts and full of love...
sweeney13todd 10 months ago 2
@sweeney13todd I feel ya I'm from Eastern Kentucky just a few counties over from Harlan and to know that this song relates to not just to us and to people living in similar areas, but to others even out of the country makes me feel like it's a small world after all.
icepikoftime 10 months ago
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86 Thank God I am a HillBilly. I was Blessed to grow up in those mountains.
kgbghosts 10 months ago 2
Patty Loveless wails this song truthfully, lovingly, and hauntingly- Don't be scared of something you know nothing about... She's not singing of the ghettos of the big city, she sings about "small folk" that she loves and knows... These people may have been scared of the big world outside of their world, but in their world, their love filled every dark place...
RamJamable 11 months ago
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86
Come to Mexico. People are that nice over here, mostly everywhere with the exception of the walled communities.
unabomberman 11 months ago
If you have any roots in Eastern Kentucky, you can't help but get emotional watching this.
WeDaBestUK2K 11 months ago 61
@WeDaBestUK2K I'm from Hyden! =D
a7x4lrev 8 months ago
@WeDaBestUK2K if u know anything about eastern kentucky this song makes you emotional!!!!!
NextGenerationProd 7 months ago in playlist Kentucky
@WeDaBestUK2K yeah true that... i live in madison county, but my dads side is all from harlen. so i feel connected to this song.
readhead14 6 months ago
@WeDaBestUK2K >>watching
xGNEPx 5 months ago
@WeDaBestUK2K Amen!
KomrkRuusik 4 months ago
@WeDaBestUK2K oh yea man my entire family is from eastern kentucky.......elkhorn city and pikeville.......ill be moving to elkhorn here before christmas
ponypeckermunch666 4 months ago
have you ever been to harlan? this song is so true, and nobody can sing it like she can. and a lot of the old time singers,this is a beautiful album, wouldn't take nothing for mine.
molly2399 3 months ago 3
This song keeps me going. I listen to it on the drive back from Mount Sterling where I stay a lot of the time, never on the way. So when I do come home to a different county, not Harlan, but close, it reminds me that I'm working towards something better than the coal fields. I do thank the miners though, especially my dad, for working in the mines when that was the only way to support your family! Thank you for singing this inspirational and haunting song.
icepikoftime 11 months ago
This is a powerful song-in that it makes you really feel the hard times that these people endured. Patty couldn't have done it any better. It gives me tears when I listen to it. I wonder if she is really singing about her family, since she is from Kentucky. We listened to her CD as we vacationed near Pineville (a town she mentions in the song) Well done Patty and Thank you!
skiier551 11 months ago
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I wasn't born there, but I left a big chunk of my heart and soul down there...
mydogfriend 11 months ago
I wasn't born there, but I left a big chunk of my heart and soul down there...
mydogfriend 11 months ago
ive lived in harlan all my life
bloodydager 11 months ago 2
Harlan is where my parents were born and raised, myself and two older brothers were born and lived there also. My Great Grandfather owned and operated a coal mine there until his business partner shot and killed my Grandfather in Cold Blood.
gravelhead65 11 months ago
yeah, sleepinggiant. it's in my blood, too. White Sulphur Springs, WVa. my grandfather had a permanent limp from battling the Pinkertons. don't'ya think those beautiful old mountains with all their mysteries give those of us who were born there a seer's view of things, that maybe scares other people sometimes? but adds to our understanding of Life and Love and Goodness in ways that can't be found otherwise? sure, we've got our 'issues' like everyone. We're not saints. or are we? ; )
claudichameleon 1 year ago 2
@claudichameleon
WSS WV, is my hometown, where I was raised up. Do you live there?
n8tureboy 1 year ago
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claudichameleon 1 year ago
I once had girl from Pineville KY. Her family's history is nearly identical to this song's narative. My one visit to Pineville in 1971 was interesting. Of note from the trip: you could buy drugs and alcohal frm the sheriff in Pineville, the mayor threatened to have me killed because he thought I might be a Federal agent, and constable Rielly, the town drunk gave me a parking ticket written on a piece of construction paper, he threated to shoot me if I didn't pay. But wait! there's more. . .
elepantnosegod 1 year ago 2
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86
Sir! I want you to know that you've just said a mouthful. I'm in total agreement with what you've just spoken.
I've been around these United States, and I can say unashamedly say that the kindest, most generous folk seem to come from the Appalachian regions. I like the culture and I like the people here and I like the beautiful mountains. Well said sir!
n8tureboy 1 year ago
This is it. This is the song that shows off Patty Loveless's stunning vocal ability. I saw her perform this live back when they were doing the Down From The Mountain tour. I think she had either the Del McCoury Band or Union Station backing her. That was easily the single most amazing musical experience I've had (and I go to a LOT of concerts). Combine absolute top-shelf musicianship with Patty's soulful singing was just... wow wow wow. She named her album right, "Mountain Soul".
canuckistani81 1 year ago
@canuckistani81
I saw her on that tour as well. Where did you see that show at? I saw her in Charleston, WV. Remember Rodney Crowell narrating the show? It was a great experience wasn't it.
n8tureboy 1 year ago
@n8tureboy
I saw the show in Toronto, Canada. Rodney Crowell was a perfect MC for it. Not many know this music's history better than him! A memorable experience all around.
canuckistani81 1 year ago
Lost two Grandfathers to the coal mines......I'm from Harlan county and proud to be. This song is very fitting and hauntingly performed. Poor people just rying to survive and provide for their families. May God bless all that have and are still digging coal.
wallins82 1 year ago 4
didnt daryl scott write this song? he should have been the one who was on cmt with the video of this and people should know his name.. country musc song writers need to band together and say "enough is enough. if you want my song then you can sign me and my band"
thebeautifulman69 1 year ago
i love how real she is... as if it were here living it... and her ringing voice haunts your soul...
kennyburns11 1 year ago 2
I don't like Country - so this can't be Country...superb piece of work.
All the names of places in it are from mining communities in the UK:
Harlan is tin mining in Cornwall,
Richland from the Sth Yorshire coal miners
Cumberland is from the mountains near the Scots/English border - more coal.
We already know in South Wales what happens to mining communities when Right-wing governments like Margaret Thatcher's destroy the industry
welshpenguin 1 year ago 3
@welshpenguin wow, can't believe the UK is so simialar to the US when it comes to names of towns, this song is about Harlan Kentucky, but glad you can relate to it as well.
spacy572 1 year ago
@spacy572 - Southeast Kentucky is full of the descendents of English settlers. The towns are named after lots of English towns.
London, KY is about 10 miles north of my town, my mom is from Middlesborough, KY (a bit different spelling of Midddlesbrough. There is a Manchester a few miles east of London, and Somerset to the west.
I myself have a lot of English ancestry
yowermutha 1 year ago
@welshpenguin That's cool to know, thanks.
marksj43 1 year ago
@welshpenguin
Where I live in West Virginia, USA. The state is composed mainly of Scotch-Irish descendants. About 90% of the state's population is made up of those ethnic groups. Coal mining is it in W. Virginia. It provides good incomes to our people, but it's dirty and dangerous work, still miners are a proud, proud people. They love their jobs mostly. I respect them immensely for the work they do. I respect anyone that does an honest days work...that's why I hate politicians so much! N8
n8tureboy 1 year ago 5
@welshpenguin
It's funny that you would mention "right-wing governments" destroying the industry. It's just the opposite here in the US now. The left-wing enviro-nuts are killing the coal industry here, or at least, trying too.
My mom had "the pleasure" of meeting Maggie back in the early 90's here in the US. She still has a photo taken with her.
n8tureboy 1 year ago 2
@THESLEEPINGGIANT86
Oldest, not purest...English isn't even properly a language, cobbled together from its German roots with bits of Latin and the old British language of Cornwall, Wales & Brittany - add to that the effects of the Empire. But for sure you guys are closer to the likes of John Cabot than anyone else around.
welshpenguin 1 year ago
the ending to the show , justified.
TheTrigger900 1 year ago
the ending to the show , justifuied
TheTrigger900 1 year ago
This is certainly another side of Patty Loveless. Thanks for posting it.
whatsanenigma 1 year ago
What a voice. What a song. What lyrics by darrell scott.you'll never find anything any better.
seymourbbest 1 year ago
My father just passed away and were burying him today I can't even express the emotions this song brings up as we always listened to it driving to all our Kentucky fishing trips....I love you dad R.I.P
buckneck1 1 year ago
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THESLEEPINGGIANT86 1 year ago
this song always gives me chills
countryboy4life79 1 year ago
Lovin this thread..
phusionsa 1 year ago
I'm not that into country unless it's done well and in the true *spirit* of country. The kind of country that tells a story, like this song. It hearkens the originals, artists like Gene Autry and Johnny Cash; even if Autry was a cheerful cowboy, his song 'Daddy of Mine' (think that's it) brings out the same kind of emotions. Anyway, I can sing pretty good, karaoke, all that, but whenever I try to sing this song, just the first line makes my throat tense and eyes tear up. So sad, so gorgeous.
HoneyNVinegar 1 year ago
Well said sbrushfan.
This song hooked me out of the blue. ABC was having some sort of special and I heard a snippet of this song from the next room. I spent (literally) the next 6 hours trying to track down just who this was!! Lot of other people were as well based on the sites I ran across.
phusionsa 1 year ago
@phusionsa Omg, I did that too--the story about the Kentucky poor! I cried like an idiot watching that, and posted all the parts in my journal (it was a YT user that'd posted it, I don't have TV). I found the song here, just like you. How music connects us all, huh? :)
HoneyNVinegar 1 year ago
This song and album is some of the finest work Patty has ever done. Never get tired of listening too the entire album.
Semipr0 1 year ago
I also lived in Tazewell county..down there in the Richlands area...and this reminds me so much of down there....5 stars
JoshStamper100 1 year ago
She's from pike county thats amazing, my home land
freeburn2010 1 year ago
PIKE COUNTY!!!!! THATS AWESOME I LIVE HERE LOL
freeburn2010 1 year ago
wow i was born in harlan i never herd this song before
27brandywine 1 year ago
Just heard this song for the first time and it reminds me of home in south west Va Tazewell county. I miss there but I know I will never go back
dudehokie 1 year ago
I only know this song by my s.s teachers class because we were learning about coal miners
05mahr 1 year ago
this is where Rand Paul though the dukes of hazzard were from
JackRackem 1 year ago
@JackRackem wrong... The dukes where in GA!! not KY!!
Jcompton69 1 year ago
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libertylovescience 1 year ago
When i first moved to Williamsburg, Kentucky (70 miles from Harlan) i had never been exposed to true bluegrass and at first i hated Kentucky, after awhile though i couldnt get enough of either.. Harlan, Williamsburg, Pineville, Corbin, that whole area im in love with and i will go back someday. This song remnds me of that everytime.. Thank you Whitney Stark for introducing me to this and teaching me to find the beauty in all of it.. (You still sing this better with Haley though) :)
Flintstone116 1 year ago 2
I was raised on this kind of music an i love it.
Jimmy15ify 1 year ago
i like Brad Paisley's version a hell of alot better :D :D
MissKylee24 1 year ago
there is no video, it is just the song. and everyone is entitled to an opinion. this is still America, we dont make everyone have the same opinions. I have no clue who likes it nor doesnt like it, and it doesn't matter in the least.
mossplates 1 year ago 5
The 2 people who don't like this video don't support coal mining and hardworking Americans.
rideithard661 1 year ago 3
The absolute voice of and angel !!!!!!! This song sends chills down the spine of those of us who trace our blood lines to Harlan.
jrburton1957 1 year ago
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this is good music, right here. takes you back to a simpler time.
kazsnumber1girl 1 year ago
this is good music, right here. takes you back to a simpler time.
kazsnumber1girl 1 year ago
@kazsnumber1girl takes you back to a simpler time? This song is from the 2000's. not sure how that is a simpler time.
mossplates 1 year ago
@mossplates The song is about a simpler time, not written in a simpler time.
In a time before welfare, food stamps, unemployment, and terrorists... All you had to do to survive was an honest days work. If it were like that today, the world would be a better place.
I'm from NC by the way. Not a coal miner, but some of my friends are from WV (sons and grandsons of miners.) I have the deepest respect for anyone tough enough to do that job to keep the trains running and food on their table and mine.
redneckbubbad 8 months ago
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@kazsnumber1girl takes you back to a simpler time? She recorded this inthe early 2000's. Not sure how that is a simpler time.
mossplates 1 year ago
As the daughter of a Harlan County Coal Miner, this touches me deep in my soul - my Daddy took his last breath in July of 2004 - his last breaths didn't come easy, he suffered from Black Lung disease but amazingly led an active life until the very end. I'm very proud to be a Harlan County native but even more proud to be my Daddy's daughter...
Bluecatzfan 1 year ago 2
Grandfathers....Fathers...and Sons...all digging their graves. What a powerful song by Patty. If you don't know the family of this...you don't know.