I know this dress I'm wearing doesn't hide the secret I've tried concealing
When he left he promised me he'd be back by the time it was revealing
The sun behind a cloud just casts the crawling shadow o'er the fields of clover
And time is running out for me, I wish that he would hurry down from Dover
He's been gone so long, when he left the snow was deep upon the ground
And I have seen a spring and summer pass and now the leaves are turning brown
At any time a tiny face will show itself 'cause waiting's almost over
But I won't have a name to give it if he doesn't hurry down from Dover, from Dover, from Dover

My folks weren't understanding, when they found out they sent me from the home place
My daddy said if folks found out he'd be ashamed to ever show his face
My mamma said I was a fool, she did not believe it when I told her
Momma, everything's gonna be all right 'cause soon he would be coming down from Dover

I found a place to stay out on a farm takin' care of that old lady
She never asked me nuthin' so I never talked to her about my baby

I sent a messgae to my mom with a name and address of Ms. ol' Grover
And to make sure he got that information when he came down from Dover

I loved him more than anything and I could not refuse him when he needed me
He was the only one I'd loved and I just can't believe that he was usin' me
He wouldn't leave me here like this, I know it can't be so, it can't be over
He wouldn't make me go through this alone, he'll be coming down from Dover

My body aches the time is here it's lonely in this place where I'm lying
Our baby has been born, but something's wrong, it's too still, I hear no crying
I guess in some strange way she knew she'd never have a father's arms to hold her
So dying was her way of tellin' me he wasn't coming down from Dover, from Dover, from Dover
Down from Dover