John Denver – The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down lyrics

This song appears on two albums, and was first released on the Whose Garden Was
This? Album, and has also been released on the Changes album.

Virgil Caine is the name, I served on the Danville Train
So much cavalry came and tore up the tracks again
In the summer of sixty-five we were hungry just barely alive
By May the tenth Richmond had fell it's a time I remember so well

The night they drove old Dixie down and the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down and the people were singin'
They went la na na na na na la na na na na na na na

Back home in Tennessee my wife called out for me
Say Virgil come quick and see there goes Robert E Lee
I don't mind choppin' wood and I don't care if da money ain't good
You take what you need and save the rest but they should never have taken the
Very best

The night they drove old Dixie down and the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down and the people were singin'
They went la na na na na na la na na na na na na na

Like my father before me he was a workin' man
Like my brother above me he took a rebel's stand
He was just eighteen proud and brave when a Yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the blood beneath my feet you can't raise a Caine back up when he's
In defeat

The night they drove old Dixie down and the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down and the people were singin'
They went la na na na na na la na na na na na na na

The night they drove old Dixie down and the bells were ringin'
The night they drove old Dixie down and the people were singin'
They went la na na na na na la na na na na na na na..................

Words and music by are Robertson