The trees they do grow high and the trees they do grow green
But the days have gone and passed my love that thou and I were seen
It’s a cold winter’s night my love, it’s now that I must lie alone
My bonny boy you were young, but a-growing
Oh father dearest father, I fear you’ve done me harm
For you’ve married me to a bonny boy, but you know he is too young
Oh daughter dearest daughter if you will stay at home with me
A lady you shall be while he’s growing
We’ll send him to the college for one year or two
And then perhaps in time my love, a man he’ll make for you
I’ll buy you white ribbons to tie around his bonny waist
To let the ladies know that he’s married
At the age of sixteen he was a married man
At the age of seventeen he was the father of a son
At the age of eighteen my love, his grave it was a-growing green
And death had put an end to his growing
I made my love a shroud of the holland o-so fine
And every stitch I put in it the tears they did run down
Oh once I had a sweetheart, but now he’s lying in the ground
But I’ll nurse his bonny boy while he’s growing
O now my love is dead and in his grave doth lie
The green grass that covers him, it groweth up so high
O once a had a sweetheart, but now I have got ne’er a one
So fare thee well my own true love for ever
