D                        A             D
I come from the mountains, Kentucky's my home
          D                           A          D
Where the wild deer and black bear so lately did roam
G                                             D
By the cool rushing waterfall the wildflowers dream
D                                     A
And through every green valley, there runs a clear stream
            D                              G
Now there's scenes of destruction on every hand
    D                     A               D
And only black waters run down through my land


[Chorus]
G                                  A
Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
      D                         A               D
Black waters, black waters, run down through my land


[Post-Chorus]
          D                                  A             D
Well, the quail, she's a pretty bird and she sings a sweet tongue
       D                        A              D
In the roots of tall timber she nests with her young
        G                                    D
The the hillside explodes with the dynamites roar
        D                          A
And the voice of the small bird is heard there no more
        D                           G
And the mountain comes a sliding so awful and grand
        D                          A       D
And the flooding black waters rise over my land


[Chorus]
G                                  A
Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
      D                         A               D
Black waters, black waters, run down through my land


[Verse]
       D                       A           D
In the coming of springtime we planted our corn
       D                       A          D
In the ending of springtime we buried our son
       G                                          D
In the summer come a nice man saying everything's fine
   D                        A
My employer just requires a way to his mine

          D                         A          D
Then they tore down my mountain and covered my corn
        D                          A           D
Now the grave on the hillside's a mile deeper down
        G                                        D
And the man stands a talking with his hat in his hand
          D                        A       D
While the poison black waters rise over my land

[Chorus]
G                                  A
Sad scenes of destruction on every hand
      D                         A               D
Black waters, black waters, run down through my land


[Post-Chorus]
       D                       A         D
Well I ain't got no money, not much of a home
  D                       A             D
I own my own land, but my land's not my own
          G                                D
But, if I had ten million, somewheres thereabout
          D                    A
Well, I'd buy Perry county and throw them all out
         D                             G
And just sit down on the banks with my bait and my can
    D                          A               D
And watch the clear waters run down through my land

      G                                           A
Well, wouldn't that be just like the old promised land?
      D                       A          D
Black waters, black waters no more in my land
      D                       A          D
Black waters, black waters no more in my land