Jimmy Joe Jack Jones, Jr. - was named after his daddy James
Grew up in a hollow in Harlan - a county where nothing’s tame
Most men worked the coal mines - the Jones worked the hills
Producin' brew - mountain dew - from granddaddy’s moonshine still

Now Jimmy's '53 Caddy - rode real low to the road
Once a month he’d make the run - through Cumberland with a load
From Harlan up to Elkhorn - with a stop in Kingdom Come
It all went well - till a gal named Nell - rode along one night for fun…

And the moon shines bright on those Harlan summer nights
Where sometimes the young have to choose
Tween a coffin fulla’ nails or a revenuer’s cell
Just two ways outta’ Harlan - and either way you lose

The first stop was down at the river - a crate for Kirby McCain
Who traded cash for jars of mash - of Jimmy's high octane
Nell had promised Jimmy - some fun when the run was through
But she flashed a revenuers badge - he knew that he'd been duped

Jimmy thought he could sweet talk - Nell to let him slide
Then he saw the old brown Dodge - that belonged to Sheriff Cline
Jimmy quickly took the cue - pushed the pedal to the floor and gravel flew
Blue lights flashed from the Sheriff's dash - as they headed down 92

And the moon shines bright on those Harlan summer nights
Where sometimes the young have to choose
Tween a coffin fulla’ nails or a revenuer’s cell
Just two ways outta’ Harlan - and either way you lose

Nell yelled out to Jimmy Joe - Slowdown we gotcha now
You’re runnin' days are over - Jimmy knew there was no way out
His trunk was fulla 90 proof - they had a federal witness too
He knew he'd go to Terra Haute - and wear those prison blues

The needle flew to 102 - and the black Cadillac sailed
Through the next bend at 110 - straight through the wood guard rail
The sheriff watched from the mountain top - as the Caddy burst into flames
In the bottom of a hollow in Harlan - where Jimmy Joe chose his fate

And the moon shines bright on those Harlan summer nights
Where sometimes the young have to choose
Tween a coffin fulla’ nails or a revenuer’s cell
Just two ways outta’ Harlan - and either way you lose

Tween a coffin fulla’ nails or a revenuer’s cell
Just two ways outta’ Harlan - and either way you lose