Willie Dear
© 2014- Aaron Geil, Sean Geil, Mike Oberst· Songs Well-Known in America · p.368
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"OH WILLIE DEAR YOU'VE GOT A MIND TO LEAVE ME ONCE AGAIN.
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I SEE YOUR SHIP UPON THE SHORE AND FREIGHT ALL LOADED IN'
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"OH LIZZY DEAR YOU KNOW THAT I MUST SHIP OUT WITH THE CREW.
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BUT THOUGH THE RIVER CARRIES ME MY HEART REMAINS WITH YOU"
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WILLIE'S SHIP DEPARTED FROM THE DOCKS EARLY NEXT DAY
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ELIZABETH LOOKED ON AS HE FLOATED FAR AWAY
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FROM THE HOUSE UPON THE HILL SHE'D WAIT AND WATCH THE RIVER BEND
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FOR THE SHIP TO BRING HER OWN TRUE LOVE SAFELY HOME AGAIN
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THEY TOILED ABOARD THE BOAT FOR MONTHS WITH HANDS SO ROUGH AND RAW
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SHE WAITED FOR A LETTER AS THE SUN DID RISE AND FALL
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UNTIL ONE DAY SHE SAW THE SMOKE AND HEARD THE HISSING STEAM
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THE WEARY SHIP RETURNING FROM THE HAUL TO NEW ORLEANS
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JUST THEN A LOUD EXPLOSION BROKE AND TREMBLED HILLS AROUND
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HER EYES SO WIDE IN HORROR AS THE TEARS CAME POURING DOWN
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FROM BOW TO STERN THE SHIP DID BURN, SHE HEARD THE SAILOR'S CRY
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THE FLAME AND FIRE OF RAPTURE LIGHTING UP THE MIDNIGHT SKY
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THEN WITH A TREMBLING HAND UPON THE PEN SHE WROTE FOR THEE
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"THE WORLD CAN SHOW NO BEAUTY IF WITH YOU I CANNOT BE
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OH LONELINESS, I CAN'T ENDURE TO DROWN IN SORROWS TIDE
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I’M GOING TO MEET MY WILLIE DEAR UPON THE OTHER SIDE"
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NEXT DAY A SHIP CAME ROLLING IN AND ANCHORED IN THE WAKE
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ABOARD WAS WILLIE THOMPSON ON ARRIVAL ONE DAY LATE
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AS FAST AS HE COULD TRAVEL, AND THROUGH THE DOOR HE BROKE
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AND UP THE STAIRS HE FOUND HIS DARLING HANGING FROM A ROPE
(INTERLUDE/SOLO)
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NOW TIME DID PASS FOR WILLIE AS HE WALKED THIS WORLD ALONE
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BUT TIME STOOD STILL UPON THE HILL WHERE SAT POOR LIZZIE'S HOME
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AND NOW SO STILL AND QUIET THERE STANDS THE OPEN DOOR
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THE DUST UPON THE WINDOW PANE AND SHADOWS ON THE FLOOR
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IT'S EIGHTEEN STAIRS WILL BRING HER UP TO THE WIDOW'S WALK
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AND FIVE WINDOWS FOR TO VIEW THE RUSTED STEAM SHIP DOCKS
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IS LIZZY STANDING BY THE CHAIR OR IS SHE IN THE HALL?
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OR IS SHE IN THE CORNER WITH HER PALE FACE TO THE WALL?
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OH THAT GIRL, THAT PRETTY LITTLE GIRL, THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME. .
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THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME. .