I know this dress I'm wearing doesn't hide the secret I have 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 over the fields of clover
And time is running out for me, I wish that he would hurry down from Dover
And I've gone so long, when I left the snow was deep upon the ground
And she has seen the spring and summer comin' now the leaves are turning brown
At any time a tiny face will show itself the waiting's almost over
But she won't have a name to give it if I don'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, she did not believe it when I told her
That everything would be all right 'cause soon he would be coming down from Dover
She loved me more than anything she could not refuse me when I needed her
She was the only one I loved and she did not believe that I was usin' her
He couldn't leave me here like this, so no it can't be so, it can't be over
I wouldn't make her go through this alone, no I'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 much to still, I hear no crying
I guess in some strange way she knew she'd never have a father's arms to hold her
And dying was her way of tellin' me he wasn't coming down from Dover.