I know this dress I'm wearing doesn't hide the secret I have tried concealing
When he left he promised me that 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
And 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

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 and she did not believe it when I told her
Mamma everything would be all right 'cause soon he would be coming down from
Dover

I found a place to stay out on a farm taking care of an old lady
She never asked me nothing so I never talked to her about my baby
I sent a message to my mamma with the name and address of myself over
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 using 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, oh he'll be coming down from Dover

My body aches the time is here it's lonely in this place where I'm lyin'
Our baby has been born but something's wrong it's too still I hear no cryin'
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 telling me he wasn't coming down from Dover