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The Trees They Do Grow High Lyrics
Trees They Grow High (Traditional)
The trees they grow high, the leaves they do grow green
Many is the time my true love I've seen
Many an hour I've watched him all alone
He's young, but he's daily growing
Father, dear father, you've done me great wrong
You've married me to a boy who is too young
I'm twice twelve when he is but fourteen
He's young, but he's daily growing
Daughter, dear daughter, I've done you no wrong
I've married you to a great lord's son
He'll make a lot for you to wait upon
He's young, but he's daily growing
Father, dear father, if you see fit
We'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 I was looking o'er my father's castle wall
I spied all the boys a-playing 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 fourteen, he was a married man
At the age of fifteen, the father of a son
At the age of sixteen, his grave it was green
And death had put an end to his growing
Many is the time my true love I've seen
Many an hour I've watched him all alone
He's young, but he's daily growing
You've married me to a boy who is too young
I'm twice twelve when he is but fourteen
He's young, but he's daily growing
I've married you to a great lord's son
He'll make a lot for you to wait upon
He's young, but he's daily growing
We'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
I spied all the boys a-playing 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, the father of a son
At the age of sixteen, his grave it was green
And death had put an end to his growing
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The story depicts morals so ancient it must seem unreal to us, yet Joan's performance makes it deeply touching. Boys of 14 being married to mature girls of 24 - was it a tool to rein in men's power over women? But in this song the girl gets no power, just a lot of waiting, a brief moment of married life - and long years as a widow with a child. She does not blame her father, her boy husband or the fate, she just treasures her memories. Nowdays such attitude would be submissive and pitiful, in this ballad it is sorrowful and beautiful. Such is the wonder of song and Joan Baez. When I was a teenager speaking no English and hearing even less, I played this number endlessly, trying to fill the title with any sad meaning...