Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
This tragic ballad is about a young woman named Caroline whose impoverished circumstances lead to prostitution and ultimately suicide.
The exact whereabouts of Tecumseh Valley and Spencer, the two places mentioned in the song, are unknown. They could be fictional, or they could refer to either town...
[Verse 1]
The name she gave was Caroline
The daughter of a miner
And her ways were free and it seemed to me
That sunshine walked beside her
[Verse 2]
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
[Verse 3]
She said she'd come to look for work
She was not seekin' favors
And for a dime a day and a place to stay
She'd turn those hands to labor
[Verse 4]
But the times were hard, Lord, and the jobs were few
All through Tecumseh Valley
But she asked around and a job she found
Tending bar for Gypsy Sally
[Verse 5]
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
[Verse 6]
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
[Verse 7]
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"
[Verse 1]
The name she gave was Caroline
The daughter of a miner
And her ways were free and it seemed to me
That sunshine walked beside her
Tecumseh Valley (1969 Version) was written by Townes Van Zandt.
Tecumseh Valley (1969 Version) was produced by Kevin Eggers & Jim Malloy & Jack Clement.