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The Farewell Ball

from Hillbilly Pilgrim by Mark Erelli

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lyrics

The government man
Started building his dam
Then he told us it was all for the best
'Cause they were tearing it down
They were drowning our town
In the name of progress I guess

We held our heads proud
'Til the state bought us out
And there wasn't much else we could do
But go down to Town Hall
To the last firemen's ball
It was decked out in red, white and blue

(Chorus)
Come, come take my hand
Twirl to the band 'round the old Town Hall
Come, come take my hand
This is our last chance
Down at the Farewell Ball

The Downings and Gibsons
Farleys and Dickinsons
Everyone dressed to the nines
They piled into town
Came from miles around
To pay their respects one last time

A hush filled the room
And the band stopped the tune
As the midnight bell slowly chimed
I saw grown men break down
At the death of a town
When the orchestra played "Auld Lang Syne"

(Chorus)
Come, come take my hand
Twirl to the band 'round the old Town Hall
Come, come take my hand
They've called the last dance
Down at the Farewell Ball

Even now I recall
How the waters claimed all
And made islands of the tallest of hills
And families and neighbors
Now scattered like paper
All etched in my memory still

I walk down there sometimes
Through the reservoir pines
To listen to the wind on the waves
It's like nothing has changed
I can still hear the strains
Of the last tune the orchestra played

(Chorus)
Come, come take my hand
Twirl to the band 'round the old Town Hall
Come, come take my hand
They've called the last dance
Down at the Farewell Ball

credits

from Hillbilly Pilgrim, released January 20, 2004
written by Mark Erelli (Hillbilly Pilgrim Music/ASCAP)

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Mark Erelli Boston, Massachusetts

"You know those artists who release a great first record and then have enormous trouble following it up with anything as interesting? Yeah, that’s not Mark Erelli." -Red Line Roots

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