On the first day of winter I was set to leave
With the lost awe of true love in my eye
The wild frontier outlaws and thieves
To find me a mountain in the skyThere's gold in them hills I heard the man cry
There's gold in them hills for the taking
It's a one-way ticket down a river of lies
There's gold in them hills if you make itOn the last day of spring I first saw the sea
A poor boy with good luck on my side
Ready for riches, I rolled up my sleeve
And took my first step down my lifeHad my wallet, same old pocket
Sixteen dollars, brand new shoes
Empty bottles, sad turned daughters
What's a country boy to doTell dear mother that I miss her
But things are different now there's nothing I can do
Your dark haired son is now long gone
Remember me when you stare at the moonBroken my heart, diamonds and gold
Through scandal, through madness, through cold
All I have left is this gray in my beard
This mountain and the stories that I've toldThere's gold in them hills I heard the man cry
There's gold in them hills for the taking
It's a one-way ticket down a river of lies
There's gold in them hills if you make itThere's gold in them hills
There's gold in them hills
There's gold in them hills if you make it