Fred Hellerman/Fran Minkoff
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
Chorus:
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
(Chorus)
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
(Chorus)
Yes, we call it Poverty Hill