Tecumseh Valley

Townes van Zandt

CThe name she gave Fwas CaroCline
FThe daughter of a Cminer
And her Fways were free
And it Emseemed to Amme
That the Gsunshine walked beFside herC

DThe name she gaveG was CarolineD
GThe daughter of a Dminer
And her Gways were free
And it Dseemed D/C#to D/Bme
That the Asunshine walked beGside herD

She came from Spencer, 'cross the hill.
She said her pa had sent her,
'Cause the coal was low, and soon the snow
would turn the skies to winter.

She said she'd come to look for work;
She was not asking favors.
For a dime a day and a place to stay
she'd turn those hands to labor.

But times were hard, and jobs were few
all through Tecumseh valley,
But she asked around and a job she found
tending bar at Gypsy Sally's.

She saved enough to get back home
when spring replaced the winter,
But her dreams were denied; her pa had died.
The word come down from Spencer.

Well she took to walking out in the streets
With all the grief inside her
And it was many a man
Who returned again
To walk that road beside her.

So she turned to whorin' out on the streets,
with all the lust inside her,
And it was many a man returned again
to lay himself beside her.

They found her down beneath the stairs
that led to Gypsy Sally's.
In her hand when she died was a note that cried,
"Fare thee well, Tecumseh Valley."

instrumental: verse

The name she gave was Caroline,
daughter of a miner.
Her ways were free, and it seemed to me
The sunshine walked beside her.