Hepsabeth Dudley, 1854

She forgot to hang the clothes out on the line
So they sat there in the bucket, wet.
And the landlord, he scolded her for going out dancing
But when she tossed her curly hair, he would forget.

For the beauty of the lady in the yellow cotton dress
Exceeded any harm that she could do
And the people of the town all thought she looked her best
Cause when she let her hair fall down her back they always knew,

That the lilacs would bloom, would bloom, would bloom,
that the lilacs would bloom.
That the lilacs would bloom, would bloom, would bloom,
that the lilacs would come alive.

Nobody guessed she would work as a maid
At the local motel where the visitors stayed
When the travelers would rest, she would sneak out to meet
Her lover of years, down on Valley Street

For the beauty of the lady in the yellow cotton dress
Exceeded any harm that she could do
And the people could tell that she did never rest
Cause she tended to the gardens so the lilacs would bloom

And the lilacs would bloom, would bloom, would bloom,
and the lilacs would bloom.
And the lilacs would bloom, would bloom, would bloom,
and the lilacs would come alive.

When it cam to be 1854,
behind her, Life, He closed the door.
And she and her love were layed down one last time
she said, "I ain't scared of nothin', but I sure wouldn't mind,

"If you still held my hand every now and again,
like when we walked through the graves, back when we were just friends
Tonight I'll dream dreams, I'll sleep tight with a smile,
and I'll be waiting for you on the other side."

So lay me down
into the ground
where we snuck off to meet
at the cemetery gates down on Valley Street

She closed her eyes
and he followed soon after
They rested in peace
and ended the chapter

So lay me down
into the ground
where we snuck off to meet
at the cemetery gates down on Valley Street

For the value of the days exchanged between the two
exceeded any harm that they could do
And the lady in the yellow cotton dress, she knew
that when they lay down forever, the lilacs would bloom


And the lilacs would bloom, would bloom, would bloom,
and the lilacs would bloom.
And the lilacs would bloom, would bloom, would bloom,
and the lilacs still bloom today.