"Coal Miner's Daughter (Recitation)" lyrics

Well, I was born a coal miner's daughter
In a cabin on a hill in Butcher Holler
We were poor but we had love
That's the one thing my
Daddy made sure of
And he shoveled coal to make a poor man's dollar

My daddy, he worked all night in the Van Lear coal mines
All day long in the field hoeing corn
Mama rocked the baby at night
And read the Bible by the coal oil light
And everything would start all over come break of morn

Daddy loved and raised eight kids on a miner's pay
Mama scrubbed our clothes on a washboard every day
I've seen her fingers bleed
To complain there was no need
She'd smile in Mama's understanding way

In the summertime we didn't have shoes to wear
But in the wintertime we'd all get a brand new pair
From a mail-order catalogue, money made by selling a hog
Daddy always managed to get the money somewhere
Yes I'm proud to be a coal miner's daughter
I remember well, the well where I drew water
The work we done was hard
At night we'd sleep, 'cause we were all tired
I never thought I'd ever leave Butcher Holler

Well a lot of things have changed, since way back then
And it's so good to be back home again
Not much left but the floor
Nothing lives here anymore
Except a memory of a coal miner's daughter