The trees they do grow high
The leaves they do grow green
Many's the time my love I have seen
Many the hour, I watched him on the go
He's young but he's daily growing

Father, dear father
You've done to me great wrong
You've married me to a boy who is too young
I'm twice twelve and he is but fourteen
He's young but he's daily growing

Daughter, dear daughter
I've done to you no wrong
I've married you to a rich man's son
He'll make a Lord for you to wed to borne
He's young but he's daily growing

Oh father, dear father
If in you besee-ee fit
I'll send him to college for one year yet
I'll tie blue ribbons all around his head
To let the maidens know that he's married

One day while I was walking
On my father's castle wall
I saw the boys they were playin' with the ball
My own true love was the flower of them all
He's young but he's daily growing
At the age of fifteen
He was a married man
The age of sixteen, a father of a son
The age of seventeen, the grass grew over him
Grew that soon put an end to his growing

The trees they do grow high
The leaves they do grow green
Many's the time my love I have seen
Many the hour I watched him all alone
He's young but he's daily growing