Way on up in the tennessee hills, there lived an old hermit named moonshiner bill now billy he ain't always lived by himself as you can tell by the pictures on his livin room shelf a black and white photo of a beautiful lass in a wooden frame behind some broken glass told a sad tale that bill would rather forget of his younger days when wisdom he hadn't met his darlin' and joy, Julianna her name eyes like sapphires that set bill's heart aflame she gave him lovin' like he'd never know again when in come a richer fella on the midnight train now billy he worked hard every day of his life and hoped sweet Julianna might become his wife but out from the desert come a Texas oil man and snatched sweet Julianna right outta billy's hand Moonshiner Bill, keep on climbin' those hills and chasin' those spirits through the trees ain't no jug o' punch gonna bring your baby back only have you crawlin' 'round on your knees Now this oil man from Texas named Jimmy, didn't give a damn for no-one but himself one look at Julianna and he knew he had to have her and damn the consequences though he knew them well One afternoon Billy thought he'd scurry on home and Julianna thought that 'til sundown he'd be gone so she up and called Jimmy, in the mood for a little messin' they both wound up on the wrong end of Billy's smith & wesson Moonshiner Bill, you're sweet darlin' you've killed and now it's time for you to pay the piper The County Sherriff's out and hot on your trail said you're gonna find yourself some time alone in jail The lawyer said it was a crime of passion and it kept a-ringin in the jury's ears the judge, he said, instead of walkin' down the aisle, you'll be doin' ten to twenty years Way on up in the Tennessee hills there lived an old hermit named moonshiner bill out behind his shack he went and laid himself to rest with a black and white photograph clutched to his chest