One day she bought the old Morgan County Jail
And she filled all the cells up with junk
She done walled out her kinfolk and the ghosts of the past
And the cells gathered cobwebs that held her fast

And I remember Emily down at the carnival
Just smiling and riding the Cyclone all day
And she wasn't thinking about hiding in those long gone days
Not until next year when the bad things passed her way

And every other year we try to remember Young Emily Rose
(Emily Rose)

We used to stand in the field and look down on that jailhouse
And she'd hold my hand and tell me of her dreams
Of turning those concrete walls into a lovely mansion with art in its halls
And I'd look in her eyes and I see what she'd mean

Then the light in her eyes slowly started fading
And she mumble to herself and shake and scream and cry
And I'd wanna kill myself when I'd hear that pretty mouth complaining
About how no one in this town cared if she lived or died

And nowadays no one ever sees poor Emily
And now a days no one ever sees her much
The schoolkids hide in the tall grass outside the Morgan County Jail
And just listen for her howls in the night

And every other year we try to remember Young Emily Rose
(Emily Rose)
And every other year we try to remember Young Emily Rose
(Emily Rose)

'cause we just want to forget the old
'cause we just want to forget the old

And every other year we try to remember Young Emily Rose
(Emily Rose!)
And every other year we try to remember Young Emily Rose
(Emily Rose)

'cause we just want to forget the old
'cause we just want to forget the old