Readin’, rightin’, route 23 lyrics

Artist  : Dwight yoakam 
Song : Readin’, rightin’, route 23
 
Readin’, (dwight yoakam)

Chorus:
They learned readin’, rightin’, route 23
To the jobs that lay waiting in those cities’
factories
They didn’t know that old highway
Could lead them to a world of misery

Have you ever been down kentucky-way
Say south of prestonburg
Have you ever been up in a holler
Have you ever heard
A mountain man cough his life away
From diggin’ that black coal in those dark mines,
those dark mines
If you had you might just understand
The reason that they left is all behind

Chorus:
They learned readin’, rightin’, route 23
To the jobs that lay waiting in those cities’
factories
They learned readin’, rightin’, roads to the
north
To the luxury and comfort a coal line can’t
afford
They thought readin’, rightin’, route 23
Would take them to the good life that they had
never seen
They didn’t know that old highway
Could lead them to a world of misery

Have you ever seen ’em put the kids in the car
after work on friday night
Pull up in a holler about 2 a.m. and see a light
still shinin’ bright
Those mountain folks sat up that late
Just to hold those little grandkids in their
arms, in their arms
And I’m proud to say that I’ve been blessed
And touched by their sweet hillbilly charm

Chorus:
They learned readin’, rightin’, route 23
To the jobs that lay waiting in those cities’
factories
They learned readin’, rightin’, roads to the
north
To the luxury and comfort a coal line can’t
afford
They thought readin’, rightin’, route 23
Would take them to the good life that they had
never seen
They didn’t know that old highway
Could lead them to a world of misery
Yeah, it turns out that that old highway, leads
you to a world of misery