When first I came to Louisville, my fortune there to find
I met a fair young maiden there, her beauty filled my mind
Her rosy cheek, her ruby lips, they gave my heart no rest
The name she bore was Flora, the Lily of the West
I courted lovely Flora, she promised never to go
But soon a tale was told to me that filled my heart with woe
They said she meets another man who holds my love in jest
And yet I trusted Flora, the Lily of the West
Way down in yonder shady grove, a man of low degree
He spoke unto my Flora there and kissed her 'neath a tree
The answers that she gave to him like arrows pierced my breast
I was betrayed by Flora, the Lily of the West
I stepped up to my rival, my dagger in my hand
I seized him by the collar and I ordered him to stand
All in my desperation I stabbed him in his breast
I'd killed a man for Flora, the Lily of the West
And then I had to stand my trial, I had to make my plea
They placed me in a prisoner's dock and then commenced on me
Although she swore my life away, deprived me of my rest
I've unravveled green tangles
with talons dirty of earth
I've pulled up, lacerated,
I've moulded me like mud
I've dug, removed tumuls and roots
I was rooted to the earth
I've modulated me in the deep slow flowing
of the underground seasons
I've taken shape like a shrub dilating my limbs,
I've disentangled from the womb of the earth like
a wild weed
I rise primigenial livid daughter of creation
When first I came to Louisville
Some pleasure there to find
A damsel there from Lexington
Was pleasing to my mind
Her rosy cheeks
Her ruby lips
Like arrows pierced my breast
The name she bore was Flora
The Lily of the West
I came to my love Flora
Some pleasure there to find
She turned in to another man
Which sort of stressed my mind
She robbed me of my loyalty
Deprived me of my rest
I loved my faithless Flora
The Lily of the West
Now down in yonder shady grove
The man who was to come
Conversing with my Flora there
It seemed so strange to me
And the answer that she gave to him
It sort of me oppressed
I was betrayed by Flora
The Lily of the West
I stepped up to my rival
My dagger in my hand
I seized him by the collar
And I boldly made him stand
We met in desperation
I pierced him in the breast
I killed the man for Flora
The Lily of the West
I had to stand my trial
I had to make my plea
They placed me in a criminal box
And then commenced on me
Although she sold my life away
Deprived me of my rest
I loved my faithless Flora
[verse #1]
You keep bleeding through the fresher paint
Foggy like the halo on a saint
You can't be in my dreams anymore
You can't walk right in through the front door
[verse #2]
Of course you'd find me, where else would I be?
Thought you'd find your way back eventually
Standing, sipping coffee by the sink
Give yourself confusion, time to think
[verse #3]
You keep bleeding through the fresher paint
Lost, well, I can tell you where you ain't
You can't be in my dreams anymore