I was going on twelve, she was just nine
Passing round her little valentines
With the devil dancin’ there in her eyes
Teasin’ someday she would be my bride
I said, “You’re just a little girl, now go on”
And as soon as I turned around, there she was . . . gone
There she was, gone. I started thinkin’ bout her night and day
I started singing a young love song. There she was, gone
Out of school now, and she’s my girl
But a restless soul needs to see the world
I search for a promise in those dancing eyes
Would she settle down by my side
She whispers in my ear, “Babe, you can’t hold on.”
So I opened up my arms, and there she was . . . gone.
There she was, gone. I thought about her night and day
I was singing a lonesome song. There she was, gone
Now we’re Mom and Dad, with a girl of our own
Growing like a weed in this happy home
She’s got that devil in her mama’s blue eyes
But no one realizes how time flies
Until the house is still, no more little girl’s songs
One day we turned around, and there she was . . . gone
I’m an old man now, she’s still my girl
Spends her days in a long gone world
There’s a darker devil hiding in her eyes
Telling her, she’s someone else’s wife
She looks at me and says, “Mister, what’s wrong?”
And right before my eyes, there she is . . . gone
There she was, gone. I was searching for her every day
I was singing a worried man song. There she was, gone
There she was, gone. I’ll be thinking ’bout her all my days
I’ll be singing a lonesome song. There she was, gone