Verse 1
I remember when the floodgates came to Pineville
They keep out the water, but another flood came
Poisoning all our sons and daughters
Pills that kill the pain but the misery remains
Oh, pills kill the pain but misery remains

So I took a drive up to Mary Helen
To see the old coal tipple
The names on my family graves
At 85 I ain't making any new memories
Just trying hard not to let these old ones fade
Oh, don't you let thesе old ones fade

Chorus
So I'm gonna take that high road to Harlan
Climb upon Pinе Mountain
Boys I'm gonna cut that chain
And let the rocks come roll on down
Through this here town
Cause that's the only way things are ever gonna change
Maybe that's the only way things ever change

Verse 2
They say coal ain't ever gonna come back
Soon there'll be no jobs
No work for this whole damn town
We'll sit and watch the Cumberland River
As it carries away
The mountains that the coal company tore down
Oh, that the coal company tore down
Chorus (2)
So I'm gonna take that high road to Harlan
Climb upon Pine Mountain
Gonna breathe that rarefied air
I don't know how to fix a thing that's this broken
I only know that the outside word don't care
Oh, no, the outside world don't care

Verse 3
I keep a loaded shotgun by the nightstand
I don't have the pills they want
But I'm old and folks might surmise
I ain't got no family left worth counting
And they're just waiting 'round on me to die
Oh, waiting round for me to die

So soon I'll take that high road to Harlan
Climb up on Pine Mountain
See the old growth that remains
Reminding me there are things that I still love here
Reminding me there are things we still might save
Oh, there are things we still might save