The Lights of Knoxville

You grow up fast in East Tennessee
On minimum wage and moonshine
It’s easy for a poor boy like me
To feel old long before his time

But I remember those summer nights
With Sissy up on Ridge Road
Lying in the grass until daylight
Watching the city lights far below

Chorus:
She said those lights shine just like stars
And they’re just as far from where we are
Promise me one day we’ll leave these hills
And go see the lights of Knoxville

When we got married we felt no shame
In a borrowed tux and a loose gown
She couldn’t wait till the baby came
I got a job laying asphalt down

I’ll never forget that winter day
When the foreman came with the bad news
She lost the child she wanted so much
While I built a road we’ll never use

Chorus:
She said those lights shine just like stars
And they’re just as far from where we are
Promise me one day we’ll leave these hills
And go see the lights of Knoxville

Bridge:
There’s a hole in our hearts
Where our dreams used to be
She sits and stares into space
But I know exactly what she sees

Chorus:
She said those lights shine just like stars
And they’re just as far from where we are
Promise me one day we’ll leave these hills
And go see the lights of Knoxville

Copyright Kent Newsome and Bob Clay
All Rights Reserved