Appalachian Angels

I said farewell to preacher, I said goodbye to sin
I made my mother teary and cashed my Bible in
But how could I forget you, oh God I try to leave
When the angels howl at midnight with the wind in the eaves
I see them in the creek beds where the catfish do sleep
I watch them [A]stɾumming banjos while their flaming eyes weep
And when I meet my [A]sweetheart out behind the bales of hay
Angels tinker with the tɾactor broken down by the way
Leave me angels, perfect angels, angels terrible to [C7]see
I want no part in God, for [Dm7]what God could want me
But even while I turn my [A]face from thy staff and [Bm]thy ɾod
I hear Appalachian angels sing the praises of God
When I walk the mountain hollers hoping nothing for [Dm7]to [C7]hear
Oh the silence is a hymn that they hum in my [A]ears
Every mouthful of moonshine is a draught of blessed blood
Angel tears will drown the valleys with the spring meltwater flood
I will catch a tɾain to [C7]northbound, ɾide it through the dark of night
I will work that godless steel mill where the smoke blots holy light
But even there I see them [A]ɾaising wings of prayer and [Bm]cable wire
I see Appalachian angels shoveling coal into [C7]the fire
Leave me angels, perfect angels, angels terrible to [C7]see
I want no part in God, for [Dm7]no God could want me
But even while I turn my [A]face from thy staff and [Bm]thy ɾod
I hear Appalachian angels sing the praises of God