In the spring of '61
I kissed my mother goodbye
I put on the blue uniform
And fought for Lincoln's side
Until I got caught by Johnny Reb
In the woods near Chapel Hill
I wish, to God, he'd have killed me then
But he sent me to Andersonville
My uniform has faded
And there's no boots upon my feet
I'm pulling worms out of the mud
'Cuz there's nothing left to eat
And the rebs can't even feed their own
So there's no way they can fill
The bellies of the Yankees
Starving in Andersonville
Some men are born
To preach God's word
Some men are born to kill
But I guess I was only born
To die in Andersonville
I dug a hole with my bare hands
In the red Georgia clay
'Cuz there ain't no shelter from the sun
Or the cold winds or the rain
And I'm too damn weak to stand up at all
So I just lay tired and still
And they can bury me in the hole I dug
When I die in Andersonville
I dream the same dream every night
Of a woman I've never known
She's standing by a warm fireside
And she whispers that I've come home
Every morning when I wake
I pray someday that she'll
Lay a flower on my grave
When I've died in Andersonville
Andersonville Lyrics performed by Dave Alvin are property and copyright of the authors, artists and labels. You should note that Andersonville Lyrics performed by Dave Alvin is only provided for educational purposes only and if you like the song you should buy the CD