I come from the mountains, Kentucky's my home
Where the wild deer and the black bear so lately did roam
By cool rushing waterfalls the wildflowers dream
And through every green valley there runs a clear stream
Now there's scenes of destruction on every hand
And there's only black waters run down through my land
Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
Black waters, black waters, run down through the land
Oh the quail, she's a pretty bird, she sings a sweet tongue
In the roots of the tall timber she nests with her young
But the hillside explodes with the dynamites roar
And the voices of the small birds will sound there no more
And the hillsides come a slidin' so awful and grand
And the flooding black waters rise over my land
Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
Black waters, black waters, run down through the land
In the rising of the springtime we planted our corn
In the ending of the springtime we buried a son
In summer come a nice man, says everything's fine
My employer just requires a way to his mine
Then they threw down the mountain and covered my corn
And the grave on the hillside's a mile deeper down
And the man stands and talks with his hat in his hand
As the poisonous water spreads over my land
Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
Black waters, black waters, run down through the land
Well I ain't got no money and not much of a home
I own my own land, but my land's not my own
But if I had ten million, somewhere's there about
I would buy Perry county and I'd run 'em all out
Sat down on the bank with my bait and my can
And just watch the clear waters run down through my land
Well wouldn't that be like the old promised land?
Black waters, black waters, no more in my land