Black Lung
Harlan's Silent Sorrow: Battling Demons in Coal Country
Lyrics
He replays it over
Reflecting repeatedly on past events
The life that could have been
Contemplating the potential life that was not realized
His mother always warned him
Recalling maternal warnings
About the poison in his head
Caution about detrimental thoughts or influences
He remembers the warning
Retaining the advice given
The night his father died
Recollection of a significant night—father's passing
He said son I may be leaving this world
Father's message about departing but emphasizing care for the mother
But don't you dare leave your mother behind
Instructions not to abandon the mother despite his departure
He's tried and tried to move on
Struggling to move forward despite attempts
But he just can't let it go
Difficulty in letting go of the past
It's like wrestling with the mountains
Comparison of overcoming challenges to wrestling mountains
To steal all their coal
Metaphor for extracting value or meaning from difficulties
There's nothing left for him to do in this town
Sense of hopelessness in the current location
Except come down with the black lung
Anticipation of contracting a serious illness (black lung)
And put him six feet in the ground
Envisioning death and burial due to the black lung
Life is cruel in Harlan County
Describing the harshness of life in Harlan County
Nobody makes it out alive
Expressing the inevitability of death for everyone
So, what does it matter if he wastes one more night
Questioning the significance of wasting time in such a place
Everybody says that Jesus saves
Referencing religious beliefs in the context of hardships
But he hasn't seen it yet
Not witnessing the expected salvation or relief
'Cause everyone in this town is a skeleton
Depicting a community haunted by past mistakes
Still living with regret
Living with lingering remorse and guilt
He's tried and tried to move on
Continued struggle to move on from the past
But he just can't let it go
Persistent difficulty in releasing emotional baggage
It's like wrestling with the mountains
Metaphorically describing ongoing challenges as monumental
To steal all their coal
Symbolic act of taking valuable resources from challenges
There's nothing left for him to do in this town
Sense of hopelessness and lack of purpose in the current environment
Except come down with the black lung
Expectation of succumbing to the detrimental effects of the black lung
And put him six feet in the ground
Envisioning the final outcome—death and burial
He's tried and tried to move on
Reiteration of the ongoing struggle to move on
But he just can't let it go
Persistent difficulty in releasing emotional baggage
It's like wrestling with the mountains
Continued metaphorical wrestling with life's challenges
To steal all their coal
Symbolic act of taking valuable resources from challenges
There's nothing left for him to do in this town
Reiteration of hopelessness and lack of purpose in the current environment
Except come down with the black lung
Anticipation of succumbing to the detrimental effects of the black lung
And put him six feet in the ground
Reiterating the envisioned final outcome—death and burial
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