The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down lyrics

Song information

Artist: Joan Baez
Album: In Concert 2

Lyrics

By j.r.robertson
© 1970 canaan music, inc

Virgil caine is the name, and I served on the danville train
'Til stonewall's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive
By may the tenth, richmond had fell, it's a time I remember, oh so well

(Chorus)

The night they drove old dixie down, and the bells were ringing
The night they drove old dixie down, and the people were singin'. they went
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Back with my wife in tennessee, when one day she said to me
"Virgil, quick, come see, there goes robert e. lee!"
Now I don't mind'em choppin' wood, and I don't care if the money's no good
Ya take what ya need and ya leave the rest
But they should never have taken the very best

(Chorus)

Like my father before me, I'm a workin' man
Like my brother above me, I took a rebel stand
He was just eighteen, proud and brave, but a yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the mud below my feet
You can't raise a caine back up when he's in defeat

(Chorus and fade)