This is Chuck Ragan's cover of  Coal Tattoo' originally done by Billy Ed Wheeler 
and covered by numerous artists through the years. This version however is mainly 
based on Hazel Dicken's version, a personal favourite of Chuck's. On Capo 5. 
_______________________________________________________
Intro (x2): Am , C , Am , C , 
                  Am C , G , Am

Verse 1: 
Am                              C/G               Am
Travelin' down that coal town road. 
C                            G                 Am
Listenin' to my rubber tires whine.
Am                     F                                Am
Goodbye to Buckeye and white Sycamore. 
C           G               Am
I'm leavin' you behind.
G      C     G        C       G              C
I've been coal miner all of my life. 
G      C     G        C    G          C
Layin' down track in the hole.
F                               Am                             G
Gotta back like an ironwood, bit by the wind. 
Am                     C/G          Am
Blood veins blue as the coal. 
F                    C/G                Am
Blood veins blue as the coal.


Verse 2: 
Am               C/G
Somebody said, 
                                 Am             C                      G              Am
"That's a strange tattoo you have on the side of your head."
Am
I said, 
                        C                       Am           
"That's the blueprint left by the coal. 
Am        G            C/G                 Am
A little more and I'd been dead.
Am     G            C                   G                C
Well, I love the rumble and I love the dark. 
G     C      G                      C 
I love the cool of the shade,
                           C/G               Am                        C/G
And it's on down the new road, lookin' for a job. 
  C                    G                  Am
This travelin' nook in my head. (Sometimes x2)


Interlude: Intro Chords


Verse 3: 
Am                                          C/G            Am 
I stood for the union and walked in the line
C/G                                            Am 
And fought against the company.
Am                 C/G                Am
I stood for the U. M. W. of A.
F                                 C             Am
Now, who's gonna stand by me?
C                  G                         C       G
I've got no house and I got no job, 
G              C/G             G
Just got a worried soul
F                           C/G                               Am
And a blue tattoo on the side of my head 
F                       C/G            Am
Left by the number nine coal. 
F                       C/G            Am 
Left by the number nine coal.


Verse 4: 
Am                              C/G            Am
Some day when I'm dead and gone 
G                     C                        Am
To heaven, the land of my dreams.
Am                             C                        Am
I won't have to worry on losin' my job, 
          C                    G               Am
On bad times and big machines.
C                         G                       Am
I ain't gonna pay my money away 
G                    C              G
On dues or hospital plans.
G                            Am                          C
I'm gonna cut coal where the blue heavens roll 
F                                G           Am
And sing with the angel band.
F                                G           Am
And sing with the angel band.


Outro:
F                                G           Am
And sing with the angel band.
F                                G           Am
And sing with the angel band.