(tom meltzer) Once i had a sweetheart She meant the world to me I met her on the road one night when we were in tennessee I met her in a barroom after we'd done a show We sat and talked about the louvins 'til the 'tender called time to go She wrote her address on a napkin I wrote mine on my cd She said, "it was sure nice talking to you" I said, "you'll be hearing from me" I wrote her a letter the next day She wrote one in return The letters we wrote each other could have made the mailbox burn Yo-de-lay-he-he-hoo I wrote her a long letter and told her that i loved her so And if she'd come to new york to the altar we would go I sent it with a dozen roses and i waited for her reply Til the day the letter came my way that made me want to die It said, "i know that you love new york So wild and fancy free And i love you, dear, But i also love my home in tennessee Now i know that you'd be no more happy here than in the city i would be So though i love you dear I'm gonna stay right here Home in tennessee" Yo-de-lay-he-he-hoo And now i know i will never wed But a bachelor i'll always be 'cause my heart belongs to a pretty girl down in tennessee Yo-de-lay-he-he-hoo