The Terrible Tale

The land shapes people and people shape lands Tug River tells tales about feudist stands 'Tween Kentuck and Virginny the river runs Where the rival families took up their guns Hatfields 'n McCoys roamed "Murder Land" Cried 'n died by each other's hand Details were as much fancy as they were fact As was this revengeful ongoing hillbilly pact Newspapers spun this yarn of "Outlaw Class" Took over a hundred years for this plague to pass "Devil Anse" 'n "Randall" were the family foes Long-living cheek and jowl as legend goes Cost many a life of wife, son and daughter Through decades of feuding, senseless slaughter Some say that they were driven out by rail Others knew enmity should surely prevail Eastern investors were clearly after coal In the end, as always, control was the goal By the start of the twentieth century Appalachians had lost their dignity