© 1997 Earl Vickers
Grandpa worked in the coal mine, he looked old at 21
Seldom saw the sunshine, then he got that ole black lung
I still hear him fairly often, underneath the ground
Coughin’ in his coffin, not makin’ any soundHe told my daddy, “Son, don’t you work down in the mine
Go out and have some fun, while you still have the time
We worked hard to make a living, me and my wife
Damn near killed ourselves, so you could have A Better Life”Daddy worked in the factory, worked his fingers to the bone
Caught his arm in the machinery, he had no leg to stand on
But he made out like a one-armed bandit, on the disability plan
when he lost all five fingers, on the other handMy daddy told me, “Son, don’t you work in the factory
Go out and have some fun, you don’t wanna end up like me
We worked hard to make a living, me and my wife
Damn near killed ourselves, so you could have A Better Life”I got calluses on my fingers, from playing this guitar
Got a touch of carpal tunnel, if I bend a string too far
My ears are always ringing, got a pain in my right knee
This guitar playin’ gonna be the death of meTold my son, “Jed, don’t matter what you do
You’re gonna wind up dead, so you might as well be you
Work hard to make a living, find yourself a wife
Don’t got nothin’ else to do, so have... A Better Life”