Fare ye well old Ely Branch, fare ye well I say
I'm tired o' livin' on dried beef and tomatoes
And I'm a-goin' away

When we had a strike in Ely this spring, these words ol' Hughes did say
Come along boys go back to work, we'll give you the two weeks' pays
When they put on their mining clothes, hard work again they tried
And when ol' payday rolled around, they found ol' Hughes had lied

So fare ye well old Ely Branch, fare ye well I say
I'm tired o' livin' on dried beef and tomatoes
And I'm a-goin' away

When Hughes thinks his mines was goin' to stop, a sight to see him frown
There's gas enough in old Hughes, to blow these mountains down
Oh take your children outta Ely Branch, before they cry for bread
For when ol' Hughes' debts are paid, he won't be worth a thread

So fare ye well old Ely Branch, fare ye well I say
I'm tired o' livin' on dried beef and tomatoes
And I'm a-goin' away

Now Hughes claims he owns more mines than these, he says he gots money to lend
But when ol' payday rolls around, he can't pay off his men
I'd rather be in Pine Grove jail with my back all covered in lice
Than to be in old Hughes' coal mines, diggin' coal at Hughes' price
I think John Yaeger's a very nice man, he's the same ol' John every day
But a man can't live can't live on dried beef and tomatoes, an' I'm a-goin' away

So fare ye well old Ely Branch, fare ye well I say
I'm tired o' livin' on dried beef and tomatoes
And I'm a-goin' away