Music Video
Music Video
Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Townes Van Zandt
Lead Vocals
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Townes Van Zandt
Songwriter
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
In the beautiful hills, in the midst of Roane County
It's there that I labored my whole life away
It's there that my heart is a turnin' most ever
It's there the first steps of misfortune I made
[Verse 2]
I was about thirty years when I courted and married
Miss Amanda Gilbert to be my fair wife
For some unknown reason her brother Tom stabbed me
And not two months later, I'd taken Tom's life
[Verse 3]
I was captured and tried in a village of Kingsport
Not a soul in that village could say a kind word
When a jury come in with the verdict next mornin'
A lifetime in prison are the words that I heard
[Verse 4]
Well, my mama come down to see me at the station
My sweet sister Donna sat there by her side
They turned for to go, but I was chained to the platform
They said Willie, God bless you, God bless you, goodbye
[Verse 5]
In the scorchin' hot sands of a foundry, I'm toilin'
Just a-toilin' and sweatin' my poor life away
When I die, bury me on the banks of old Cumberland
In the beautiful green hills of east Tennessee
[Verse 6]
In the beautiful hills, in the midst of Roane County
It's there that I labored my whole life away
It's there that my heart is a turnin' most ever
It's there the first steps of misfortune I made
Written by: Townes Van Zandt
