Coal Tattoo Harmonica Tabs

By: Billy Edd Wheeler
Kingston Trio, Judy Collins, Jim Croce
Key: Dm

-6 -6 -6 7 7-6 -6 -6
Trav-lin’ down that coal-town road,
7 7 7 7 -7 -6 6 -6
Lis-ten to my rub-ber tires whine;
-6 -6 -6 -6 -6 -6 7 -6 6 -6
Good-bye to Buck-eye and White Syc-a-more
7 7 -8 -7 6 -6
I’m leav-in’ you be-hind.
7-8 8 8 9 8 7 -8 -88 8
Oh I’ve been a coal man all my life
8 8 -8 -8 8 -8 7-8
Lay-in’ down tracks in the hole,
8 -8 7 6 6 6 6
Got a back like an iron-wood
-6 6 -5 6
bent by the wind
7 7 -7 -6 6 -6
Blood veins blue as the coal.
7 7 -7 7 -7 -6
Blood veins blue as the coal.

Somebody said «That’s a strange tattoo
You have on the side of your head.»
I said «That’s a blue print, left by the coal
Just a little more and I’d be dead»
And I love the rumble and I love the dark
I love the cool of the slate.
But it’s on down the new road lookin’ for a job
It’s the travelin’ and lookin’ I hate.

I’ve stood for the union, walkin’ the line,
Fought against the company;
Stood for the U. M. W. of A.
Now who’s gonna stand for me?
I got no house and I got no pay,
Just got a worried soul;
And this blue tattoo on the side of my head
Left by the number nine coal.

Someday when I’m dead and gone
To Heaven, the land of my dreams,
I won’t have to worry on losin’ my job
To bad times ‘n big machines.
I ain’t gonna pay my money away
For pensions and hospital plans.
I’m gonna pick coal where the blue heavens roll
And sing with the angel bands.