Hills of Roane County

In the beautiful hills, way back in Roane County
There's where I roamed for many long years
There's where my heart's been tending most ever
That's where the first step of misfortune I made

I was thirty years old when I courted and married
Amanda Gilbraith I then called my wife
Her brother stabbed me for some unknown reason
Just three months later I'd taken Tom's life

For twenty-five years this whole world I rambled
I went to old England to France and to Spain
But I thought of my home way back in Roane County
I boarded a steamer and come back again

I was captured and tried in the village of Kingston
Not a man in that county would speak one kind word
When the jury came in with the verdict next morning
A lifetime in prison was the words that I heard

BREAK
When the train pulled out poor mother stood weepin'
And sister she sat alone with a sigh
And the last words I heard was Willie God bless you
Was Willie God bless you, God bless you, good bye

No matter what happens to me in Roane County
No matter how long my sentence may be
I'll love my old home way back in Roane County
It's way back down in old East Tennessee

Sweet Martha was grave but Corey was better
There's better and worse, although you can see
Boys when you write home from the prison in Nashville
Place one of my songs in your letter for me

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ORIGINAL LYRICS?
The following are as close to the original lyrics as researchers can get:

In the beautiful hills, in the midst of Roane County,
There's where I have roamed, for many long years;
There's where my poor heart's been tending most ever,
There's where my first steps of misfortune I made.

I was thirty years old when I courted and married,
Amanda Galbreath was then called my wife.
Her brother stabbed me for some unknown reason;
Just three months later, I'd taken Tom's life.

For twenty years this old world I rambled;
I went to old England, old France, and old Spain.
I thought of my home way back in Roane County;
I boarded a steamer and came back again.

I was captured and tried in the village of Kingston.
Not a man in that county would speak a kind word.
When the jury came in with the verdict next morning,
a lifetime of prison were the words that I heard.

The train it pulled out; poor Mother stood weeping.
And sister, she sat all alone with a sigh.
The last words I heard were: "Willie, God bless you;
Willie, God bless you, God bless you; goodbye."

The train left the shed at about eleven thirty;
The chains they did rattle, the handcuffs were tight
When Sonny Gibson took the throttle
The engine one-thirty was soon out of sight.

In the scorching hot sun I've been toiling;
Just working and worrying my poor life away.
You can measure my grave on the banks of old Cumberland
After I've finished the rest of my days.

No matter what happened to me in Roane County;
No matter how long my sentence may be,
I love my old home way back in Roane County,
Way back in the hills of East Tennessee."

OTHER LYRICS
In the beautiful hills, way back in Roane County
There's where I roamed for many long years
There's where my heart's been tending most ever
That's where the first step of misfortune I made

I was about thirty years when I courted and married
Amanda Gilbraith I then called my wife
But her brother stabbed me for some unknown reason
Just three months later I'd taken Tom's life

For twenty-five years this whole world I rambled
I went to old England, to France and to Spain
But I thought of my home way back in Roane County
I boarded a steamer and came back again

I was captured and tried in the village of Kingston
Not a man in the county would speak one kind word
When the jury came in with the verdict next morning
A lifetime in prison was the words that I heard

When the train pulled out poor mother stood weeping
And sister she sat alone with a sigh
And the last words I heard was "Willie God bless you"
Was "Willie God bless you, God bless you, goodbye"

The train left the shed at about eleven-thirty
The chains they did rattle, the handcuffs were tight
When Sonny Gibson took the throttle
The engine one-thirty was soon out of sight

In the scorching hot sun I've been toiling
Just working and worrying my poor life away
You can measure my grave on the banks of old Cumberland
After I've finished the rest of my days

No matter what happens to me in Roane County
No matter how long my sentence may be
I'll love my old home way back in Roane County
It's way back down in old East Tennessee

Sweet Martha was grave but Corey was better
There's better and worse, although you can see
Boys, when you write home from the prison in Nashville
Place one of my songs in your letter for me.

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These lyrics, which have a number of variants, are widely attributed to Willis Maberry and have been performed by the Stanley Brothers and the Blue Sky Boys, among others.

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Grandpa Jones has a fine voice, excellent delivery. But I dislike the sing-songy quality. Ralph Stanley's version, in particular, subsumes what I call the "sine wave" sound.

See this link for a historical account of the song by Willis Maberry, convicted of killing his brother in law.