[Verse 1]
You leave before the kettle sings
With red dust on your boots
The lantern swings against the dawn
And I tie your laces loose
You tuck a pebble in my hand
A little piece of borrowed ground
I watch you take the ridge road down
Till horse and man are gone
[Chorus]
I’m the gold miner’s wife
With your name beneath my skin
I keep the fire, I keep the faith
I wait for you to come back in
If fortune hides beneath the stone
And the mountain takes its time
I’ll count the days by candle flame
And call your heart still mine
[Verse 2]
The company store has flour now
And winter salt for meat
Your letter came on Thursday’s train
Three lines, then stains of grease
You said the vein was narrow there
But bright enough to chase
I kissed the paper where you wrote
And put it by your place
[Chorus]
I’m the gold miner’s wife
With your name beneath my skin
I keep the fire, I keep the faith
I wait for you to come back in
If fortune hides beneath the stone
And the mountain takes its time
I’ll count the days by candle flame
And call your heart still mine
[Bridge]
Some women dream of velvet gowns
And rooms above the square
I dream of water on the washboard
And your hand warm in my hair
Let the river keep its silver
Let the earth keep what it knows
Bring me home the man I married
Not the gold inside the load
[Final Chorus]
I’m the gold miner’s wife
And I’ve learned what love can weigh
Heavier than a sack of ore
But lighter when you say my name
If fortune hides beneath the stone
We’ll leave it where it lies
You bring your tired body home
I’ll bring the morning to your eyes
[Outro]
You leave before the kettle sings
But tonight I hear the gate
The mountain kept its secret, love
The mountain made me wait