One time I drove to see a girl across the country
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One night as I was driving through New Mexico
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I had the windows wide open
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It was cold and I was crying
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And I laid her letter on the radio
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Then I stopped outside of Tahoe
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thru this tiny mining town
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At a diner to refill for the ride
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And in the wind I heard this crying
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Like a heart broke right in two
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I turned my collar up and went inside.
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Well, I saw this smiling waitress
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Joshing friendly with these truckers
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They’d give her pats and she’d give them shoves
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I said: “Miss what’s that awful crying?”
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Everybody laughed and said:
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“It’s the tomb of the unknown love”
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And then they pointed out the window to this stone
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All by itself, beneath the tree, beside the hill
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And on that winter night
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I read these words alone
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These words that are haunting me still, it said:
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He lies a young man struck down in his prime
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By the awesome burning power of love
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He couldn’t stand this true love cheating
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So he shot the girl down
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They hung him from that tree up ( right ) above
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I know that local folks say it’s the wind
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But I know it’s crying
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from the tomb of the unknown love.
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So I drove on to my destination
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I did the job my heart commanded of me
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And when the sheriff sirens came
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I didn’t even try to fight
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They counted ten, I came out at three
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So now I guess tomorrow morning
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Warden reads some kind of paper
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How I’m gonna pay the state for what I’ve done
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Hey, then they’ll put the shackles on me
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And we’ll take a little walk
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They won’t have to drag me ‘cos it’s said and done
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And maybe someday they can put me up a stone
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All by itself, beneath the tree, beside the hill
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And lovers everywhere can come and read along
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These words that will give them a chill
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and it’ll say:
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He lies a young man ….
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Tomb of the Unknown Love
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| Kenny Rogers |
