Black Lung

Steve Earle

tom:

D5

[Verse]
D5
Sunrise lighting up the ridge tops
D5
Slicing through the frost like a red hot knife
D5
Sometimes I'm dreaming I'm a running across
D5
But I couldn't now to save my life
D5
Hound dog, yipping in the holler
D5
Must have jumped a bear bubba brother, listen to him run
D5
Somebody oughta catch him by the collar
D5
But I ain't going nowhere 'cause I'm down with black lung


[Chorus]
D5
Black lung never gets better
D5
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
D5
Shotgun loaded in the corner
D5
Reckon I'mma lay here and die of black lung


[Interlude]
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A    D5/C
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A    D5/C


[Verse]
D5  D5/A      D5              D5/A
Someday's are better than the others
D5             D5/A            D5      D5/A    D5/C
Sit out on the porch when it's cool at night
D5    D5/A      D5            D5/A
Can't say there ain't some suffering
D5             D5/A        D5           D5/A   D5/C
Every breath I take like a twelve round fight
D5   D5/A   D5              D5/A
Grandbabies out beneath the willow tree
D5            D5/A             D5         D5/A    D5/C
Hollering and laughing, and it sound like fun
D5    D5/A         D5           D5/A
Can't pick 'em up, hug 'em all, anyway
D5          D5/A         D5          D5/A    D5/C
Sorry honey granddaddy's got a black lung


[Chorus]
D5    D5/A D5         D5/A
Black lung never gets better
D5             D5/A       D5        D5/A    D5/C
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
D5  D5/A D5           D5/A
Shotgun loaded in the corner
D5           D5/A         D5           D5/A    D5/C
Reckon I'm a lie here and die of black lung


[Solo]
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A    D5/C
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A    D5/C
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A    D5/C
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A    D5/C
A    A       A      A
D5   D5/A    D5     D5/A    D5/C


[Verse]
D5        D5   D5          D5/A
It seemed like it was only yesterday
D5                D5/A         D5       D5/A    D5/C
I pulled my first shift down a longwall mine
D5    D5/A      D5               D5/A
First breath of fresh air at the whistle
D5            D5/A             D5       D5/A    D5/C
And I already knew it's just a matter of time
D5     D5/A  D5             D5/A
If I'd never been down in a coal mine
D5             D5/A              D5            D5/A    D5/C
I'd live a lot longer, hell that ain't a close call
D5  D5/A   D5                   D5/A
But then again I'd've never had anything
    D5             D5/A        D5         D5/A    D5/C
And half a life is better than nothing at all


[Chorus]
D5    D5/A D5         D5/A
Black lung never gets better
D5             D5/A       D5        D5/A    D5/C
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
D5  D5/A D5           D5/A
Shotgun loaded in the corner
D5           D5/A         D5           D5/A    D5/C
Reckon I'm a lie here and die of black lung


[Chorus]
D5    D5/A D5         D5/A
Black lung never gets better
D5             D5/A       D5        D5/A    D5/C
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
D5  D5/A D5           D5/A
Shotgun loaded in the corner
D5           D5/A         D5           D5/A    D5/C
Reckon I'm a lie here and die of black lung


D5
Black lung
D5
Never gets better
D5
Every breath a little bit harder to draw
D5
Shotgun loaded in the corner
D5
Reckon I'mma lay here and die of black lung