[JEWELL ESTES]
The air was cold and the ground was wet
I was just as muddy as a man could get
Hadn’t any light but a little oil lantern
Got you in so tight that you know you can’t turn back

I was slippin' round on my belly an' knees
I could feel my fingertips about to freeze
I could almost see where the prisoner lay
Just about t' holler when I heard him pray

Oh my lord, have mercy on my soul
Don’t let me die alone in this dark hole
And when my savior is at hand
I’ll be sure to meet him on top of the land

I won’t go diggin' round in the hollows and holes
I’ma leave it up to the hogs and moles
Never set another foot inside a cave
If I make it out of this lonesome grave

And there he remains all alone
In a cold Kentucky hillside
There he remains all alone
In a cold Kentucky hillside
He was layin' still like he was dead
Water drippin' down on top his head
Seven whole days he hadn’t had a crumb
His eyes were sunk and wearisome

He swallowed what I had right outta my hand
Then he took some coffee from an old tin can
I told we would soon dig him outta this place
And a little smile goes across his face

He said boy, thank god that you are here
Now I know my rescue is near
And when my time comes to die
I’ll be sure to do it where I can see the sky

I won’t go diggin' round in the hollows and holes
I’ma leave it up to the hogs and moles
Never set another foot inside a cave
If I make it out of this lonesome grave

And there he remains all alone
In a cold Kentucky hillside
There he remains all alone
In a cold Kentucky hillside