Poverty Hill

They come in their summery dresses and jackets so fine, the rich folks who
measure success with a big dollar sign
They gaze with delight with the rocks and the scraggly pines. The come in the
Spring and they stay 'til the Fall
On Paradise Mountain away from it all
Stubble and stone make a hard row to how. What little will grow,
the drought will kill
The summer folks call it Paradise Mountain but we call it Poverty Hill
They say we have beautiful faces as grainy as wood. Yeah, they’d like to live
here of all places if only they could
Well, we don’t get those wood, grainy faces from livin' too good.
It’s the rocks and the sun and dust and the heat
It’s too much of work and too little to eat
Stubble and stone make a hard row to how. What little will grow,
the drought will kill
The summer folks call it Paradise Mountain but we call it Poverty Hill
They pack and say what a pity that they have to go. They say that Old Smokey’s
so pretty all covered with snow
But how we get through the winter they never will know. No lard for the pantry.
No grist for the meal
And winter’s are cold over Poverty Hill
Stubble and stone make a hard row to how. What little will grow,
the drought will kill
The summer folks call it Paradise Mountain but we call it Poverty Hill
Yes, we call it Poverty Hill