Once I had a sweetheart
She meant the world to me
I met her on the road one night when we were in tennessee

I met her in a barroom after we'd done a show
We sat and talked about the louvins 'til the 'tender called time to go

She wrote her address on a napkin
I wrote mine on my cd
She said, it was sure nice talking to you
I said, you'll be hearing from me

I wrote her a letter the next day
She wrote one in return
The letters we wrote each other could have made the mailbox burn

Yo-de-lay-he-he-hoo

I wrote her a long letter and told her that I loved her so
And if she'd come to new york to the altar we would go

I sent it with a dozen roses and I waited for her reply
Til the day the letter came my way that made me want to die

It said, I know that you love new york
So wild and fancy free
And I love you, dear,
But I also love my home in tennessee

Now I know that you'd be no more happy here than in the city I would be
So though I love you dear
I'm gonna stay right here
Home in tennessee

Yo-de-lay-he-he-hoo

And now I know I will never wed
But a bachelor I'll always be
'cause my heart belongs to a pretty girl down in tennessee

Yo-de-lay-he-he-hoo