Artist: Townes Van Zandt
Song: Tecumseh Valley
Note: This is the way that Townes plays it. He wrote it on the banjo so
It makes sense that you Travis pick this song. On the G intro you
Travis pick and hamer on the 5th string with you middle finger.
when the verse starts alternate thumbpicking the 6th and 4th string
with a hammer on every half measure on the 5th string with middle finger
watch the Townes private concert video version on Youtube, it will help.
(the extra letters in the lyric show where to sing longer,
the dots show where to pause and not sing) same pattern for all verses
G (320003@1) C (x32010@1) GThe (320003@1)name she gaaave... was Caroliiiine...
C (x32010@1) G (320003@1) The daughter of a miner
C (x32010@1) And her ways were freeee...
G (320003@1) (walk to Em) Em (022000@1) D (xx0232@1) And it seemed to meee...
D (xx0232@1) C (x32010@1) G (320003@1) That the sunshine walked beside her
She came 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 whoring out in the streets
With all the grief inside her
And it was many a man
Who returned again
To lay themselves 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
