He is Young- Nathan Hatt (NS) 1952 Creighton A
[My title, from Maritime Folk Songs by Helen Creighton 1962.
R. Matteson 2016]
He is Young- Sung by Mr. Nathan Hatt, Middle River, May, 1952.
1. The leaves are green and the trees they are tall,
All those happy summer days are all past and gone
Here I'm left on the coldest winter day
He is young, but he's daily a-growing.
2 "O father, dear father, you've done me much wrong
For you have married me to a boy that's too young,
For I am twice twelve and he's only thirteen,
He is young but he's daily are a-growing."
3 "O daughter, dear daughter, I done of you no wrong
"For I've married you to a rich farmer's son,
And if you do but love him he'll be your lord and king[1]
He is young but he's daily are a-growing."
4. [O daughter, dear daughter I'll tell you what I'll do[2],
I'll send him to college or another year or two]
Tie a bunch of blue ribbon all around about this neck
For lo let the girls all know that he's married.
5 At the age of thirteen a married man was he,
At the age of fourteen his oldest son was born,
At the age of sixteen on his grave the grass grows green,
He is young but he's daily are a-growing.
1.(kin?) Creighton's note
2. 1st part of this stanza missing- standard text added. This was sung later and added at the end- I've inserted it.