Readin', Rightin', Route 23 Lyrics - 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 this all behind 

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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 miner 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 burnin' 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 

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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 miner 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