Am from WVA, my father worked in the mines. They are very hard working men. God, bless all the miners past and present. Prayers for all, love ❤️ this song. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I just heard this for the first time tonight. The tears flowed freely down my face. I grew up in Eastern Kentucky. My grandfather worked in the mines and was out by the time I came along. My dad did for a while but he went into road construction which put him on building I75 and then I64, The Mountain Parkway, and several other highways through Pike County. His last construction job put him into a position to be offered a job as a supervisor in a strip mine in Pike County. He worked that for about 12 - 15 years until his health put him down for a while. He came home after that. I loved the excitement of watching the big pieces of equipment do their jobs several summers I was able to go over and spend a week and hang out with the trailer park kids. I also got to go to the job site and see how those big things actually worked. Oh my. How lucky I felt. Now, the damage has been done to the people, the land, and to just everything we all knew. The coal is gone. The landmarks have completely rearranged and the coal people do not know what to do now. This music calls to my heart. It brings back the sorrows of families torn apart, dreams shattered, and poverty so abject that you simply cannot imagine. Thank you for the beauty of your music and your love of this area. Thank you so very much.
Yeah, I cried. Mom grew up in WV, her father worked the mines. Long story, she and my father met in Ohio at the end of the Hillbilly Highway. When he died, rather than taking the family back to coal country, she took us down to Virginia where Dad was from, a bit south of the coal country there. I think about the hard work and sacrifice that my Pawpaw gave to make her escape possible, the hard work and sacrifice she gave to make my life possible, and how I feel the need to pass that down to my daughter. They were great people, and I feel the need to honor them. Thank you for this song, it is absolutely beautiful!
Grandpa was a coal miner before the Great War but never went back down when he came home so luckily no coal dust on his tombstone. He was the last of my family to ever go down the mine. A big thank you to all the ones who still go down every day.
Awesome song and video, the best I've heard about what it's like growing up in a coal camp. I lost several members of my family due to explosions and black lung. I grew up in Ethel, Logan County, WV. We left when the mines closed up there. The memories are bittersweet. I will always love the beautiful mountains that I grew up in. It broke my heart the day we left our home in the holler to move to Chicago. Thank you for this song and video.
Thank you Mr. Hawkins. My wife Kay, the writer of this song and I greatly appreciate your gracious feedback and are pleased that you would post the song for more viewing. Coal mining and early, coal camp life is an important part of our Appalachian, regional history.
Love this song!! My grandfather died of the black lung and cancer in 1967, and my dad worked in the mines when he was only 12. Thought he had gotten away from it but the cancer got him as well. Tracing back some of my family lines I'm the first to not have to work in the mines since the 1700s. Some of my ancestors were Germans who were contracted to immigrate and work the Mines in Orange county. When the mines didn't produce they collectively sued to have their contract voided and moved further west. This song puts me in mind of my Great Grandma Roxie. She was married at 16 and lost three husbands.
Beautiful song, takes me back to my childhood in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Who sings this song? One of the purest voices i have ever heard. Reminds me of Emmy Lou when she first started.
+Lindsey Stone Thanks for the wonderful feedback guys. You're correct. My wife Kay Smith Elliott is the writer and singer of this song. I play guitar for her.
Hats off......to all you hard working coal miners and your famies. The hearts of America doing what you had to do. God bless.
Am from WVA, my father worked in the mines. They are very hard working men. God, bless all the miners past and present. Prayers for all, love ❤️ this song. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I just heard this for the first time tonight. The tears flowed freely down my face. I grew up in Eastern Kentucky. My grandfather worked in the mines and was out by the time I came along. My dad did for a while but he went into road construction which put him on building I75 and then I64, The Mountain Parkway, and several other highways through Pike County. His last construction job put him into a position to be offered a job as a supervisor in a strip mine in Pike County. He worked that for about 12 - 15 years until his health put him down for a while. He came home after that. I loved the excitement of watching the big pieces of equipment do their jobs several summers I was able to go over and spend a week and hang out with the trailer park kids. I also got to go to the job site and see how those big things actually worked. Oh my. How lucky I felt.
Now, the damage has been done to the people, the land, and to just everything we all knew. The coal is gone. The landmarks have completely rearranged and the coal people do not know what to do now.
This music calls to my heart. It brings back the sorrows of families torn apart, dreams shattered, and poverty so abject that you simply cannot imagine.
Thank you for the beauty of your music and your love of this area. Thank you so very much.
When I was a man, before Margaret thatcher and her cronies distroid the indosty
Yeah, I cried. Mom grew up in WV, her father worked the mines. Long story, she and my father met in Ohio at the end of the Hillbilly Highway. When he died, rather than taking the family back to coal country, she took us down to Virginia where Dad was from, a bit south of the coal country there. I think about the hard work and sacrifice that my Pawpaw gave to make her escape possible, the hard work and sacrifice she gave to make my life possible, and how I feel the need to pass that down to my daughter. They were great people, and I feel the need to honor them. Thank you for this song, it is absolutely beautiful!
Awesome song,Absolutely Beautiful
Grandpa was a coal miner before the Great War but never went back down when he came home so luckily no coal dust on his tombstone. He was the last of my family to ever go down the mine. A big thank you to all the ones who still go down every day.
Awesome song and video, the best I've heard about what it's like growing up in a coal camp. I lost several members of my family due to explosions and black lung. I grew up in Ethel, Logan County, WV. We left when the mines closed up there. The memories are bittersweet. I will always love the beautiful mountains that I grew up in. It broke my heart the day we left our home in the holler to move to Chicago. Thank you for this song and video.
Dorothy Cramer You're more than welcome Dorothy. Glad you enjoyed it.
Just heard this today -- gave me chills.
God I love this song. But it makes me cry every time
Both the song and slideshow were terrifically evocative of coalcountry's history. I'm just about to post it on my blog.
Thank you Mr. Hawkins. My wife Kay, the writer of this song and I greatly appreciate your gracious feedback and are pleased that you would post the song for more viewing. Coal mining and early, coal camp life is an important part of our Appalachian, regional history.
Love this song!! My grandfather died of the black lung and cancer in 1967, and my dad worked in the mines when he was only 12. Thought he had gotten away from it but the cancer got him as well.
Tracing back some of my family lines I'm the first to not have to work in the mines since the 1700s. Some of my ancestors were Germans who were contracted to immigrate and work the Mines in Orange county. When the mines didn't produce they collectively sued to have their contract voided and moved further west. This song puts me in mind of my Great Grandma Roxie. She was married at 16 and lost three husbands.
Lovely voice Kay, this is true music
Cry every single time
I love this song thank you! For posting means a lot to me and I'm a West Virginia Girl 💖 just about all the coal mines are gone now :(
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
Miners are good men, I wish you well Uk
the picture of the house at 1:42 is just like our company house , up shortcreek in notamine, west virginia.
This is a really great video, thank you for posting and making it.
Thank you Judi. Glad you enjoyed it!
Is it possible room purchase a download of this song?
Great song. Got family in Big Stonegap, VA.
Good job Kay! Good song.
Thank you Matt. We're humbled by the feedback.
Where can I get an audio copy of this song?
Beautiful song, takes me back to my childhood in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. Who sings this song? One of the purest voices i have ever heard. Reminds me of Emmy Lou when she first started.
+William Lewis I looked it up and I'm not for sure but the singer might be Kay Smith Elliott, don't know for sure though?
+Lindsey Stone Thanks for the wonderful feedback guys. You're correct. My wife Kay Smith Elliott is the writer and singer of this song. I play guitar for her.
You guys make beautiful music! Makes me think about the area I live in and how much coal mining has effected us! Makes me proud of my roots :)
Mike and Kay's Page how can i buy this song? I love it so much. It reminds me a good bit of my mamaw and papaw. Do you all have a cd or something?
You made me cry
how so many of us grew up
where can I get chords and cords, love to learn song?
Best I can tell it's in C. C , F, G when the words "take me away" are sang, it goes from C to Am, then back to C.
An "AMERICAN" song built on the backs of many a strong decent American. .