The Valley Road Lyrics

Lyric discussion by michele112 

Cover art for The Valley Road lyrics by Bruce Hornsby

The song is about a plantation owner’s daughter getting pregnant by one of the field hands. Then she goes away to have the baby and returns. If she’d had an abortion she wouldn’t have been “gone awhile”.

Song Meaning

@michele112 what you're saying is certainly true in today's world. I don't believe that was always the case, however, and I'm unsure what era Hornsby had in mind when he wrote the song.

That said, I accept that this doesn't necessarily mean the child was aborted. It might mean that she went away, completed the pregnancy, and then it was either put up for adoption or even brought back and they simply didn't discuss it.

Because of your comment, I'm no longer positive it refers to an abortion. I'm also not sure it rules that idea out.