At first just a shadow in the distance
Creeping up the holler with a gun
A moonlit silhouette but for an instant
Waiting for the rising of the sun.
He saw her kneeling down in the meadow
Dandelions done up in her hair
Misty fog crowned her like a halo
Went and caught her fully unaware.

Went and caught her fully unaware, Lord,
Went and caught her fully unaware.
He planned their life right out then and there, Lord,
Went and caught her so unaware.

Made themselves a home up in the holler
Built strong with stone, wood and mud.
Joyful times surely were to follow
Sealed their love on parchment with their blood.
Lo he was a man who earned his dollars
By the skill with which he used a gun,
So he had to pack up from the holler
Told his love she was the only one.

Told his love she was the only one, Lord,
He told his love she was the only one,
But he weakened from the flesh in his travels,
And so their love began to come undone.

When he came home from his journey
She looked at him, knew he'd been untrue.
He lied and said he only could be faithful
So she did what she had to do.
She packed up what she had and left the holler;
He was sleeping and never saw ehr go.
Goodbye is what you say to a loved one
He wasn't one of those anymore.

Not a loved one anymore, Lord,
He wasn't loved anymore.
Sitting hunched over on the floor, Lord,
His love had gone away forevermore.

Hard to realize the fruits of your labor
Hard to visualize what tomorrow sees
Hard to relinquish that which you savor
Hard to understand the pain is real
Hard to retort with no explanation
Hard to realize there was no excuse
Hard to understand there'll be no salvation
Hard to validate such abuse
Hard to realize he could have just let be
Hard to realize that man was me.