Shut Out the Light (Corbin 1922) Lyrics

Big line rolled through Corbin

Till the men they called the strike

Well, they shut out the light, shut out the light

And the big locomotives sat quiet

Yeah, them big locomotives sat quiet

Them big locomotives sat quiet when they called that strike

Shut out the light

Big man walked into the valley

His shoulders they blocked up the sun

Well he shut out the light, shut out the light

Said, I believe them fires need tending

Yeah, them fires need tending

I believe them fires need tending

When he broke that strike shut out the light

He had a wife and nine kids

Buried the youngest up on the hill

Mama, shut out the light, shut out the light

Well they drove him hard as any job would

Drove him hard as any job would

They drove him harder than the devil would

In hell tonight shut out the light

He broke that strike to feed his family

Fought at night to feed his rage

Till he shut out the light, shut out the light

Well he washed his body in the moonshine

Washed his body in the moonshine

Drenched his body in the moonshine

Make it feel alright shut out the light

Big man breathed that railroad yard

Thirty years of soot and steel made him hard

Till he shut out the light, shut out the light

Well the church folk called down hell fire

Yeah, they called down hell fire

Well them church folk called down hell fire

On his life shut out the light

It's a world of hurt to cast a man's soul

Forged on the devil's bench

Judge him hard and hang him slow

Till his goodness bleeds within, yeah

Shut out the light

Mama, shut out the light