You’re lovelier than April, you’re handsomer than May
You’re hungry as an apple core, sing all the livelong day
Sing all the livelong day

I wished I was a miner down underneath the ground
Cause it’s there my Adam Carter lies, can’t hear my lonesome sound
No more high lonesome sound

I wished I was a lily growing out in yonder field
Where Ada grows her sorghum and her beans throughout the year
Cause a lily in amongst the field’s like a lady at the dance
And I’ve never been no lady but perhaps I’ll get my chance
I swear I’ll get my chance

Chorus:
Cause it’s hard hard hard, but it’s true
To find your peace of mind and stay with those who raised you
Mama and her cornbread hands, Papa and his moods
If we awake before the dawn there can’t be no bad news
Lord, please god no bad news

I’ll take you to the river bank, I’ll bring you down to swim
I’ll show you where the cattle cross when drought’s on
It’s there I sat with Billy and we drank up to our fill
Then tumbled down the riverbank and it’s there we had our will
I think of it fondly still

Your beauty is beyond compare, I know that now for sure
You are the apple of my eye, the micah in the dirt
But I am in no dirt, poor boy. This is my home, you see
What are you calling this, my home, here in east Tennessee?
Here in east Tennessee?

Chorus:
Well it’s hard hard hard, but it’s true
To find your peace of mind and stay with those who raised you
Mama and her cornbread hands, Papa and his moods
They’re the ones who raised me and the ones who lift my blues
Lord, please don’t make me choose

Michael, Oh, I cannot stay, I need to travel, see
To roam about the mountains, to glimpse the eastern sea
A freight could be our marriage bed, a train our bridal home
If you say with me you’ll roam, please say with me you’ll roam

Oh Andy, do not ask me such, you know it cannot be
My hand can go to nary a man here in east Tennessee
My ma and pa, they need me so, but more than that you know
I’d rather stay alone, my love than wear your band of gold
Than wear your yoke of gold

Chorus:
Well it’s hard hard hard, but it’s true
To find your peace of mind and stay with those who raised you
Mama and her cornbread hands, Papa and his moods
And when I miss you in the night I’ll hum this lonesome tune
I’ll hum this lonesome tune

You’re lovelier than April, you’re handsomer than May
You’re hungry as an apple core, sing all the livelong day
Sing all the livelong day