The Lyrics to "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"

From elyrics.com

Well, I thought I knew the words very well listening to Helm sing it, but evidently, I didn't know some of them or he changed it some singing in concert.

Virgil Caine is the name and I served on the Danville train
"Til Stoneman's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive
By May the tenth, Richmond had fell
It's a time I remember, oh so well.

CHORUS
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, "La, la, la."

Back with my wife in Tennessee, when one day she called to me
"Virgil, quick, come see, there goes the Robert E. Lee"
Now I don't mind chopping wood, and I don't care if the money's no good
You take what you need and you leave the rest
But they should never have taken the very best.

CHORUS

Like my father before me, I will work the land
And like my brother above me, who took a rebel stand
He was just eighteen, proud and brave, but a Yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the mud below my feet
You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat.

CHORUS

CHORUS

While on the Subject of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"

After the previous post, I spent some time back at You Tube listening to various recordings of the song.

I found two others of note:

circlecityrabbit2004:  Used SCV stickers, old photos, new ones and done up like a really early movie in black and white and jumpy.

gettysburgforever:  Used the Joan Baez version and showed re-enactment footage, possibly from the "Gettysburg" movie.

I've Got To keep Away from You Tube. Too Much Time Gets "Wasted."  --Old Secesh

Shaking the South to the Core: Levon Helm..."Till a Yankee Laid Him In His Grave"

 "He was just eighteen, proud and gray, till a Yankee laid him in his grave."

"Take what you need and leave the rest, but they should never have taken the very best."

I'm still saddened by the death of Levon Helm, drummer of the great group, the Band and one whose voice could sum up the people he came from. 

Born in Elaine, Arkansas to a cotton farming family, he was influenced by the blues, country and R&B growing up.  He eventually became the only American member of the group called The Band who had some great albums in the 70s.  He was diagnosed with cancer ten years ago, which finally got him.  Born May 26, 1940, died April 19, 2012.

Three of the songs he sang lead on are among my all-time favorites: "Up on Cripple Creek," "The Weight" (I've even sung this at karaoke) and, of course, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."  This song pretty well sums up the Confederacy as well as anything could.

The Sunday after he died, I went on You Tube to see what they had.  It is always a mistake for me to start checking out music on You Tube as that is always a long project.  One thing leads to another.

I was particularly searching for "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and found four really great videos.  One was of Helm singing it at "The Last Waltz" which unfortunately was very dark.  The other three used the song and then other video.  One by woodenships82 featured Civil War photos, another was of Johnny Cash singing a verse to some Confederate soldiers sitting around a campfire and the last, by MetalGuruMessiah was especially something with use of special effects set to the words.

Worth Checking Out for All You Confederates.  --Old Secesh