Van Lear Rose

One of my fondest memories
Was sittin on my daddys knee
Listenin to the stories that he told
Hed pull out that old photograph
Like a treasured memory from the past
And say, ' Child this, heres the Van Lear rose'
Oh how it would bring a smile
When he talked about her big blue eyes
And how her beauty ran down to her soul
Shed walk across the coal miners yard
Them miners would yell loud and hard
And theyd dream of who would hold
The Van Lear rose
She was the belle of
Johnson county
Ohio river to big sandy
A beauty to behold like a diamond in the coal
All the miners they would gather round
Talk about the man that came to town
Right under their nose
Stole the heart of the
Van Lear rose
Now the Van
Lear rose couldve had her pick
And all the fellers figured rich
Until this poor boy caught her eye
His buddies would all laugh and say
Your dreaming boy, shell never look your way
Youll never ever hold the
Van Lear rose
She was the belle of
Johnson county
Ohio river to big sandy
A beauty to behold like a diamond in the coal
All the miners they would gather round
Talk about the man that came to town
Right under their nose
Stole the heart of the
Van Lear rose
Then one night in mid
JulyUnderneath that ol blue
Kentucky sky
Well, that poor boy won that beautys heart
Then my daddy would look at my mommy and smile
As he brushed the hair back from my eyes and hed say
Your mama, shes the
Van Lear rose
She was the belle of
Johnson county
Ohio river to big sandy
A beauty to behold like a diamond in the coal
All the miners they would gather round
Talk about the man that came to town
Right under their nose
Stole the heart of the
Van Lear rose
Right under their nose
Stole the heart of the
Van Lear rose