I was a young man in my prime, I was barely twenty-three
When I caught what I thought was my loving wife with the sheriff's deputy
They tried me in Knoxville, east central Tennessee
Life and day, I heard them say, in Brushy Mountain Penitentiary
Don't come out of the hole
Don't come out of the hole
You've gotta stay down in the cold dark ground
and load another load of coal
Don't come out of the hole
Don't come out of the hole
The state owns the rights to your body
Till the good Lord claims your soul
I hadn't been there very long, I guess a month or so
When they said, "We need more men in the mine so down in the ground you'll go."
Don't even think of running," is the first thing I was told
"Cause there's a guard with a gun and orders to shoot the first man that comes out of this hole."
Now here I am an old man, the end is drawing near
Let me tell you one thing, and I'll make it very clear
There's nothing in this whole wide world worth the sacrifice of life
Not even the love of a jealous man for his two-timing wife
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Lyrics submitted by Samdaman.