[Verse 1] Down by the Susquehanna where the red barns lean, Lives a woman with a laugh like a summer stream. She can mend a broken gate, she can calm a restless room, And every heart in Pennsylvania makes a little room for her bloom. [Call and Response] Lead: Who walks steady when the hard winds blow? Choir: She walks steady, yes, she knows. Lead: Who turns a long night into morning news? Choir: That Pennsylvania woman with the red-heel shoes. [Chorus] Oh, special woman, bright as a county fair, You put a little mercy in the mountain air. From the coal-town road to the river bend, Pennsylvania sings your name again. Oh, special woman, strong and kind and true, Every open doorway seems to open up for you. [Verse 2] She keeps old letters in a flour-sack tin, Names of every neighbor and the places they have been. When the mill whistle calls and the winter presses near, She brings a pot to the porch and says, “Come on in, my dear.” [Call and Response] Lead: Who has a pocket full of good advice? Choir: She has plenty, warm and nice. Lead: Who can make a hard truth sound like song? Choir: That Pennsylvania woman keeps us strong. [Chorus] Oh, special woman, bright as a county fair, You put a little mercy in the mountain air. From the coal-town road to the river bend, Pennsylvania sings your name again. Oh, special woman, strong and kind and true, Every open doorway seems to open up for you. [Bridge] When the church bell trembles and the fields turn gray, She finds one small reason to begin the day. No crown upon her head, no medal on her wall, Just a hand held out whenever someone falls. [Final Chorus] Oh, special woman, bright as a county fair, You put a little mercy in the mountain air. From the coal-town road to the river bend, Pennsylvania sings your name again. Oh, special woman, strong and kind and true, All the hills are humming something beautiful of you. [Outro] Choir: Beautiful of you, beautiful of you. Lead: My special woman, Pennsylvania true. Choir: Pennsylvania true.
