On October Twenty-Third, Nineteen Seventy-Eight
I lost a loved one and I confess I cried
In the joyous cele-bration of the lady and her music
There were tears in the Holston River
When Maybelle Carter died
Then walking down that river road
I saw crystal tear-shaped droplets
Silver beads of love sparklin' on the river side
And I'll just bet they turn to diamonds
For the love that was behind 'em
There were tears in the Holston River
When Mother Maybelle died
Then on Janu-ary Eighth, Nineteen-Seventy-Nine
We lost Sara Carter
And the pain was multi-plied
Down be-low that old Clinch Mountain
We laid her at Mount Vernon
There were tears in the Holston River
When Sara Carter died
Then walking down that river road
I saw crystal tear-shaped droplets
Silver beads of love sparklin' on the river-side
And I'll just bet they turn to diamonds
For the love that was behind 'em
There were tears in the Holston River
When Maybelle & Sara died
There were tears in the Holston River
When Mother Maybelle and Sara Carter died