I went through my stack of songs awhile ago. I am still doing Coal Tattoo much the same way as I did when I first posted this a few years ago. My memory is I got this out of The Judy Collins Songbook. I had to transpose it around to fit the chords on my Autoharps and then to the chords I could play on the guitar. I changed out a G for an Emin in the fifth line but that was to accommodate some harmonies we have in the band. Other than that I still play this the same way I first learned in 1970.

Don Meixner

Em) Travelin' down your (C) coaltown (Em) road,
Listen to my rub- (D) ber tires (Em) whine,
(Em) Goodbye to buckeye and (C) white syca- (Em) more
I'm leaving (D) you be- (Em) hind.
(G) I've been a coal man (D) all my (Em) life
(G) Laying down a (D) track in the (C) mi- (D7) ne.
With a (Em) back like an ironwood (C) bent by the (Em) wind.
(Em) Blood vein (D) blue as the (Em) co- (D) al
(Em) Blood vein (D) blue as the (Em) coal.