As the young man marched to war
Became a sound heard clear around the world
From a lonely soldier's guitar
Who had never been so far before
For Mom and Dad and a special little girl
And cutting through the quiet like a whistle in the night
A train of memories and even city boys could ride
[Chorus:]
Mountain high, valley low
Proud and strong, a country song
Meanwhile cross the water
The mothers and the daughters
Were working in the defense factories
All up and down the line
The machines and women whined
A country song as blue as the sea
That stretched so far between
Like the prayers and the dreams
Of the men who where fighting to keep their country free
[Chorus]
Though it seemed to take forever
They were finally back together
And the young men took a restless look around
'Cause it seemed the world unfolded
And the land just couldn't hold 'em
So they headed for the cities and the towns
They could feel the homefires glow
As they gathered around the radio
To hear the Grand Old Opry as the weekend rolled around
[Chorus]
There's a kid out on the highway
Who says he's got some dues to pay
So he set out with a guitar and a dream
He don't look much like a cowboy
But he swears he's gonna make some noise
Change a tune or two in Tennessee
Though his hands had never worked the land
His granddad was a railroad man
He sang him Jimmie Rodgers songs as he sat upon his knee
[Chorus 2x]