Gillian Welch - Tennessee Lyrics






I kissed you cause I've never been an angel
I learned to say hosannas on my knees
But they threw me out of Sunday school when I was nine
And the sisters said I did just as I pleased
Even so I try to be a good girl
It's only what I want that makes me weak
I had no desire to be a child of sin
Then you went and pressed your whiskers to my cheek

Fa la la la
Fa la la lee
Now let me go, my honey oh
Back to Tennessee
It's beef steak when I'm working
Whiskey when I'm dry
Sweet heaven when I die

Now I've tried drinking rye and gamblin'
Dancing with damnation is a ball
But of all the little ways I've found to hurt myself
Well you might be my favorite one of all

Fa la la la
Fa la la lee
Now let me go, my honey oh
Back to Tennessee
It's beef steak when I'm working
Whiskey when I'm dry
Sweet heaven when I die

Why can't I go and live the life of Riley?
Why can't I go back home to apple pie?
Cause your affront to my virtue was a touch too much
But you left a little twinkle in my eye

Fa la la la
Fa la la lee
Now let me go, my honey oh
Back to Tennessee
It's beef steak when I'm working
Whiskey when I'm dry
Sweet heaven when I die

Now some will come confessing of transgressions
Some will come confessing of their love
You were there strumming on your gay guitar
You were trying to tell me something with your thumb

Fa la la la
Fa la la lee
Now let me go, my honey oh
Back to Tennessee
It's beef steak when I'm working
Whiskey when I'm dry
Sweet heaven when I die





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Gillian Welch Tennessee Comments
  1. W.... H....

    Great fn tune

  2. P.... J....

    If there is something that is better than these two and their guitars and songs, I sure as hell would like to hear it...... But I think I will have a long, long wait.

  3. p.... ....

    pure white soul

  4. B.... A....

    Lovely performance! By the way, to my ears anyway, acoustic instruments sound much better when played into microphones, as they are doing here, than they do when using built-in pickups - no matter which pickups one might choose.

    B.... A....

    Bob Aldo Excellent observation; I think you are right! 👍🎶🙏

  5. O.... S....

    Fucking David Rawlings!

  6. R.... P....

    I don't know why Dave doesn't get his name on their album covers.

  7. c.... ....

    Human ego, I really thought I was the only one whoever played that progression from the verse. Though I did it from the key of F ii V(13) IV(13) iii. Haha. I'm more like Trump then I am capable of admitting.

  8. D.... G....

    Love these two

  9. I.... ....

    Best damn thing I've heard lately!

  10. D.... S....

    It's peach tea when I'm working. Whisky when I'm dry. Sweet heaven when I die. I want this written on my tombstone. But then again, I'm a hillbilly with Scots-Irish roots.

    D.... S....

    It's BEEF STEAK when I'm working. Or did you change it on purpose?

    D.... S....

    theguy man Your ears match mine - you might wanna worry! lol 😂 My interpretation is that ‘when I am working’ means ‘when I can afford it’ (got money coming in).

  11. B.... U....

    Best music ever.

  12. M.... ....

    Superb.

  13. B.... H....

    Tennessee is my favorite song on Harrow and the Harvest. And this album has become my favorite of the Gillian and Dave catalog, although I love them all. This album joins Joni Mitchell's Blue, Tracy Chapman's first album and Nice 'n Easy by Frank Sinatra forming the quartet of the most important albums in my life. Barbara Harris St. Louis, Mo.

    B.... H....

    This song gives my brain a raging hard-on. And yes, Tracy Chapman's eponymous first album was beyond platinum for me. One of the best in the history of music. SEVERELY underrated!

  14. G.... H....

    these two are the stuff man!!

  15. T.... S....

    I tried drinkin rye and gamblin, dancin with the devil is a ball.....

    T.... S....

    'we never did do too much talkin' anyway, but don't think twice, it's alright.'
    ;-)

    T.... S....

    Gillian kills me every time, you would like Relevator, or the the Harrowing and the Harvest, or Hell Among the Yearlings

    T.... S....

    Yes I will check those out Tim. Thank you. And Yes I adore her :)

    T.... S....

    Those are awesome songs... Thanks again

    T.... S....

    Until you wake up one day in hell but you're still on here on the surface. It is not like I didn't try awfully hard.

  16. g.... ....

    Wow. This is an American folk classic.

    g.... ....

    for modern times

  17. C.... 1....

    So haunting and just Gorgeous.......

  18. s.... ....

    up close and personal. great!