Steve Earle — Black Lung

[Verse 1] 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 [Verse 2] 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] [Verse 3] 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