Well, his morning starts before the sun's out And he's lucky if he sees it riseCause that deep, dark holler that he goes down To earn a dollar, it's as dark as nightYeah, he's a coal, coal mining man Just like his dad and his dad before himYeah, he's a coal, coal mining man Works with his hands, breaks his backHis lungs are black, that coal mining manWell, that boss man, he's always screaming And it echoes through the mindSo that coal man takes out his frustrations With a stick of good old dynamiteYeah, he's a coal, coal mining man Just like his dad and his dad before himYeah, he's a coal, coal mining man Works with his hands, breaks his backHis lungs are black, that coal mining manWell, after twelve long hours of working Yeah, he's hurt, but he don't complainNow, he just goes on home to his woman And she makes everything okayHe'll catch some sleep and head out the next dayCause he's a coal, coal mining man Just like his dad and his dad before himYeah, he's a coal, coal mining man Works with his hands, breaks his backHis lungs are black, that coal mining manAlright! Coal mining man!