Virgil Cane is my name And I served on the Denville train Till Stoneman's calvary came And tore up the tracks again In the winter of '65 We were hungry just barely alive I made 10th to Richmond that fell It was the time that I remember, oh, so well The night they drove old Dixie down And all the bells were ringing The night they drove old Dixie down And all the people were singing They went la, la, la, la, la Back with my wife in Tennessee Well, one day she called to me Virgil quick come see That there goes Robert E Lee Now I don't mind choppin' woods And I don't care if the money's no good
You take what you need and leave the rest But they should never have taken the very best The night they drove old Dixie down And all the bells were ringing The night they drove old Dixie down And all the people were singing They went la, la, la, la, la Like my father before me I'm a working man And like my brother that'll love me He took the rebel stand But he was just eighteen Proud and brave And a Yankee Laid him in his grave The night they drove old Dixie down And all the bells were ringing The night they drove old Dixie down And all the people were singing They went la, la, la, la, la