the trees they grow so high

the trees they grow so high and the leaves they do grow green

and many a cold winter's night my love and i have seen. of a cold winter's night

my love

you and i alone have been

whilst my bonny boy is young

he's a-gowing. growing

growing

whilst my bonny boy is young

he's a-gowing. o father

dearest father

you've done to me great wrong

you've tied me to a boy when you know he is too young. o daughter

dearest daughter

if you wait a little while

a lady you shall be while he's growing. growing

growing

a lady you shall be while he's growing. i'll send your love to college all for a year or two

and then in the meantime he will do for you;

i'll buy him white ribbons

tie them round his bonney waist

to let the ladies know that he's married. married

married

to let the ladies know that he's married. i went up to the college and i looked over the wall

saw four and twenty gentlemen playing at bat and ball. i called to my true love

but they would not let hime come

all because he was a young boy and growing. growing

growing

all because he was a young boy and growing. at the age of sixteen

he was a married man

and at the age of seventeen he was a father to a son

and at the age of eighteen the grass grew over him

cruel death soon put an end to his growing. growing

growing

cruel death soon put an end to his growing. and now my love is dead and in his grave doth lie

the green grass grows o'er him so very

very high. i'll sit and i'll mourn his fate until the day i die

and i'll watch o'er his child while he's growing. growing

growing

and i'll watch o'er his child while he's growing.