The Brand New Tennessee Waltz
Jesse Winchester
Oh, my, but you have a pretty face
You favor a girl that I knew
I imagine that she's still in Tennessee
And by God, I should be there, too
I've a sadness too sad to be true
But I left Tennessee in a hurry, dear
In the same way that I'm leaving you
Because love is mainly just memories
And everyone's got him a few
So when I'm gone, I'll be glad to love you
At the brand new Tennessee Waltz
You were literally waltzing on air
At the brand new Tennessee Waltz
There's no telling who will be there
When I leave it'll be like I found you, love
Descending Victorian stairs
I'm feeling like one of your photographs
Trapped while I was putting on airs
And gettin' even by sayin', "who cares?"
At the brand new Tennessee Waltz
You were literally waltzing on air
At the…
Here's Joan Baez singing this song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r2vAr4Aj_Y
And here's Jesse Winchester:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APirVxOpZFk
What do I love about these lyrics? From the get-go, the diction is perfect: "You favor a girl that I knew." But it's the chorus that blows my mind: "You were literally waltzing on air." Well, no, you weren't.
Conclusion: Jesse Winchester deserves to be better known.
Cheers,
John
Update: I just read that Levon Helm and Robbie Robertson play on this album with Jesse.