Dark as a Dungeon

by Merle Travis

Come all you young fellers
so young and so fine
And seek not your fortune
in the dark dreary mine
It'll form as a habit
and seep in your soul
Till the stream of your blood
is as black as the coal

Where it's dark as a dungeon
and damp as the dew
where the dangers are double
and the pleasures are few
Where the rain never falls
and the sun never shines
Lord it's a dark as a dungeon
way down in the mines

Well it's many a man
that I've seen in my day
Who lived just to labor
his whole life away
Like a fiend with his dope
or a drunkard his wine
A man must have lust
for the lure of the mine

Where it's dark as a dungeon
and damp as the dew
where the dangers are double
and the pleasures are few
Where the rain never falls
and the sun never shines
Lord it's a dark as a dungeon
way down in the mines

Well I hope when I'm gone
all the ages shall roll
my body would blacken
and turn into coal
Then I'll look from the door
of my heavenly home
And pity the miner
who are digging my bones

Where it's dark as a dungeon
and damp as the dew
where the dangers are double
and the pleasures are few
Where the rain never falls
and the sun never shines
Lord it's a dark as a dungeon
way down in the mines

© 1946

Printed from the official Joni Mitchell website. Permanent link: https://jonimitchell.com/music/song.cfm?id=637

Copyright protected material on this website is used in accordance with 'Fair Use', for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis. Please read 'Notice and Procedure for Making Claims of Copyright Infringement' at JoniMitchell.com/legal.cfm