TECUMSEH VALLEY
Townes Van Zandt 
Copyright © 1968 Silver Dollar Music


D                      G   D
THE NAME SHE GAVE WAS CAROLINE
     G             D
THE DAUGHTER OF A MINER
         G
AND HER WAYS WERE FREE
        D   D/C# D/B
AND IT SEEMED TO ME
          A                 G        D
THAT THE SUNSHINE WALKED BESIDE HER

SHE COME FROM SPENCER, ACROSS 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 SEEKIN' FAVORS
FOR A DIME A DAY
AND A PLACE TO STAY
SHE TURN THOSE HANDS TO LABOR

WELL TIMES WERE HARD AND, LORD, JOBS WERE FEW
ALL THROUGH TECUMSEH VALLEY
BUT SHE ASKED AROUND
AND A JOB SHE FOUND
TENDING BAR AT GYPSY SALLY'S

WELL SHE SAVED ENOUGH TO GET BACK HOME
WHEN SPRING REPLACED THE WINTER
BUT HER DREAMS WERE DENIED
HER PA HAD DIED
THE WORD CAME 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.

THEY FOUND HER DOWN BENEATH THE STAIRS
THAT LED TO GYPSY SALLY'S
AND IN HER HAND WHEN SHE DIED
WAS A NOTE THAT CRIED
FARE-THEE-WELL, TECUMSEH VALLEY

THE NAME SHE GAVE WAS CAROLINE
THE DAUGHTER OF A MINER
AND HER WAYS WERE FREE AND IT SEEMED TO ME
THAT THE SUNSHINE WALKED BESIDE HER