Trees They Do Grow- John Bray (NS) 1950 Creighton B
[My title. From: Traditional Songs from Nova Scotia by Creighton and Senior, 1950. The text for B is taken from changes in A.
R. Matteson 2016]
"The Trees They Do Grow High." Sung by Mr. John Bray, Glencoe by 1950.
1. The trees they do grow high and the leaves they do grow green[1],
And many's the happy days that I have seen,
It's lying alone of a cold winter's night,
He's young but he's daily a-growing.
2. "Now dear father, dear father, you've done me a-wrong,
You've married me-to a boy that's too young,
For I am twice twelve and he's scarce thirteen,
He's young but he's daily a-growing."
3. "Oh daughter, dear daughter I've done you no wrong,
I married you to a nobleman's son.
If you will but wait on him he'll be your lord and king,
He's young but he's steadily growing."
4. "Oh father, dear father, oh what shall we do?"
"We'll send him to school for a year or two,"
While the tears came a trinkling all around her cheeks,
He's young but he's daily a-growing."
5. "I'll make him a shirt from the cambric so white,
And I'll make it with my own hands,
And the blue ribbons all around his hat,
A-looking at the pretty boys a-playing."
6. One day as she sat in her father's long hall
she spied all the school boys a-playing at a ball,
And amongst them all she saw her own true love
The flower of them all.
7. At the age of thirteen he was a married man,
At the age of fourteen his eldest son was born,
At the age of fifteen his grave was growing green
And they put an end to his growing.
1. I've changed this text from A to match the title.