Linda lost her

             
 lover in the 

early part of 

autumn, and sh

e

             
moved out to t

   
he country hop

ing all would 

be forgotten. 

The

             
last time that

   
 I saw her she

 was makin' su

re the winter 

wouldn't

            
come through t

              
hat old door f

              
rame where the

             
 door is sever

   
al inches from

 the

             
ground... the 

            
cold hard grou

  
nd. And it's

Chorus                                                 

             
hard to go dow

             
n easy; And it

              
's            

    
        
                                                  
             
hard to keep f

             
rom cryin'; An

              
d it's        

  
        
                                                  
             
hard to lose a

             
 lover in the 

          
early part of 

        
                                                  
            
au      au    

         
    au-tumn   

              

         

                                                          
  
Well, she lear

ned to cook th

e meals and sh

e learned to s

tart the fire;

 And 

             
she learned to

     
 make jewelry 

out of stones 

and precious m

etals. 

             
She sits down 

   
to the table w

ith her friend

s and several 

others, and sh

e

            
tries real har

              
d to never be 

             
alone. And it'

     
s

             
hard to go dow

             
n easy; And it

              
's            

    
        
                                                  
             
hard to keep f

             
rom cryin'; An

              
d it's        

  
        
                                                  
             
hard to lose a

             
 lover in the 

          
early part of 

        
                                                  
            
au      au    

         
    au-tumn   

             

             
Now the winter

  
 wind blows co

ld upon her fa

ir and gentle 

soul, and she

             
feels as if he

  
r time is pass

in' easy. Her

             
friends are so

        
metimes lovers

, though they'

ll always be a

nother She

            
thinks about w

              
hen the night 

              
time lays on d

                   
own. And it's

             
hard to go dow

             
n easy; And it

              
's            

    
        
                                                  
             
hard to keep f

             
rom cryin'; An

              
d it's        

  
        
                                                  
             
hard to lose a

             
 lover in the 

          
early part of 

        
                                                  
            
au      au    

         
    au-tumn