> A.L. Lloyd > Songs > The Trees They Grow So High
> Martin Carthy > Songs > The Trees They Do Grow High
> Tony Rose > Songs > The Trees They Do Grow High
> Peter Bellamy > Songs > The Trees They Do Grow High
> Steeleye Span > Songs > Long A-Growing
> Eliza Carthy > Songs > Growing (The Trees They Do Grow High)

The Trees They Grow So High / Long A-Growing / The Bonny Boy

[ Roud 31 ; Laws O35 ; Ballad Index LO35 ; trad.]

Bertha Bidder collected The Trees They Grow So High from an unnamed female singer in Stoke Fleming, Devon, and it was included in 1959 in A.L. Lloyd's and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. In 1960, A.L. Lloyd sang it unaccompanied on his album A Selection from the Penguin Book of English Folk Songs. Like all tracks from this LP it was reissued in 2003 on the CD England & Her Traditional Songs. Lloyd wrote in the album's sleeve notes:

A ballad common all over the British Isles. Scottish, Irish and English versions resemble each other in text but not always in tune. In Irish sets, the young lovers are of more respectable age. There is a story that the ballad was made after the death in 1634 of the juvenile laird of Craigton who married a girl some years older than himself, and died within a short time. In fact, the song is probably older, and may have originated in the Middle Ages when the joining of two family fortunes by child-marriage was not ununsual. Our tune was notated by Bertha Bidder from a woman in Stoke Fleming, Devon, some time before 1905.

Joe Heaney sang this song as My Bonny Boy Is Young in a recording session by Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger at their home in Beckenham in 1964. This was published in 2000 on his Topic CDs The Road from Connemara.

Martin Carthy sang The Trees They Do Grow High in 1965 as on his eponymous first album, Martin Carthy; this track was later included on the 1999 compilation Martin Carthy: A Collection. A live recording from the Sunflower Folk Club, Belfast, on October 20, 1978 was published in 2011 on his CD The January Man; and he returned to this song on Brass Monkey's 2009 CD, Head of Steam. Martin Carthy commented in his original album's sleeve notes:

The Trees They Do Grow High first appeared in print in 1792 under the title Lady Mary Ann and the young man is named as Young Charlie Cochran. In 1824 another version was printed as the Young Laird of Craigs Town with a note attached saying he had been married when very young, and had died shortly afterwards in 1634. There is no real evidence to suggest that the many English versions collected date back to this incident; indeed the ballad may well be older as child marriages of convenience were by no means uncommon in Mediaeval times.

Fred Jordan was recorded singing The Bonny Boy by Bill Leader and Mike Yates in a private room in The Bay Malton Hotel, Oldfield Brow, Altringham, Cheshire, in 1966. This was published on his 1966 Topic album Songs of a Shropshire Farm Worker and on the anthology O'er His Grave the Grass Grew Green (The Voice of the People Series Volume 3; Topic 1998). Another, 1982 recording by Sybil Clarke is on his 2003 Veteran anthology A Shropshire Lad. Mike Yates commented in the latter album's notes:

England, Scotland and Ireland share this very favourite ballad, which appeared on several broadsides during the nineteenth century. Burns rewrote it as Lady Mary Ann—Lizzie Higgins can be heard singing this on Topic TSCD667—and some have suggested that the story relates to an actual event, namely the marriage of the boy Laird of Craigton to a girl some years his senior in 1631. Such marriages, often formed to consolidate family alliances, were not uncommon. Fred learned the song from his mother.

Robin and Barry Dransfield sang The Trees They Do Grow High in 1970 on their first album, The Rout of the Blues on the Trailer label. Barry Dransfield also recorded it in 1994 with the title Bonny Boy for his CD Be Your Own Man. Their first album's liner notes commented:

Barry first heard this song played by the Irish musicians who frequent the Roscoe public house in Leeds. He included it in his solo repertoire, but after he joined with Robin and after they both had been deeply impressed by the Fairport Convention at their Festival Hall concert during summer of 1969, they put together this closely integrated duet which, although it sounds as though Barry's voice and fiddle might have been double tracked, in fact was performed as it is in a live performance.

Tony Rose sang The Trees They Do Grow High unaccompanied on his second album, Under the Greenwood Tree. He commented in his sleeve notes:

The Trees They Do Grow High has been quite unashamedly learned from the version noted by Sharp from Harry Richards of Curry Rivell in Somerset. As Sharp states, the way in which the concluding strain of each verse is varied is a fine example of how lines of irregular length can be adapted to the same melody. As in the True Lovers tune, there is here the octave jump of which the old singers seem particularly fond.

Walter Pardon sang The Trees They Do Grow High at home in his cottage in Knapton, Norfolk, in May 1974. This recording made by Bill Leader and Peter Bellamy was issued on Walter Pardon's Leader LP A Proper Sort and in an alternate take on his Topic CD A World Without Horses. Peter Bellamy recorded it hmself later for his 1979 LP Both Sides Then. He laconically commented in the sleeve notes:

Learned from Walter Pardon of Knapton in Norfolk. (One verse omitted, one verse from a variant inserted).

Eliza learnt the song from Walter Pardon too, and sang it with the title Growing (The Trees They Do Grow High) in 1995 on her and Nancy Kerr's second album Shape of Scrape. The track was later included in their compilation CD On Reflection.

Another version is Steeleye Span's Long A-Growing on their sixth album, the first one with drummer Nigel Pegrum, Now We Are Six.

Jon Boden and Fay Hield learned The Trees They Do Grow High from Barry Dransfield's album and sang it in a Bright Young Folk recording as the September 22, 2010 entry of his project A Folk Song a Day.

Maggie Boyle sang The Trees They Do Grow High in 2012 on her CD Won't You Come Away. She commented in her liner notes:

From the singing of Peter Bellamy (excepting the tiny changes I made—including a few words from Jeff Warner. Thanks Jeff!). Peter made his customary, indelible mark on this popular folk story. I hope he would have approved of this (he’d certainly have told me if he did not!).

Lyrics

A.L. Lloyd sings The Trees They Grow So High

The trees they grow so high and the leaves they grow so green,
The day is past and gone, my love, that you and I have seen.
It's a cold winter's night, my love, when I must bide alone,
For my bonny boy is young but a-growing.

As I was a-walking by yonder church wall,
I saw four-and-twenty young men a-playing at the ball.
I asked for my own true love but they wouldn't let him come,
For they said the boy was young but a-growing.

“Oh father, dearest father, you've done to me much wrong,
You've tied me to a boy when you know he is too young.”
“Oh daughter, dearest daughter, if you'd wait a little while,
A lady you shall be, while he's growing.”

“We'll send your love to college, all for a year or two,
And then perhaps in time the boy will do for you.
I'll buy you white ribbons to tie about his waist
To let the ladies know that he's married.”

And so early in the morning at the dawning of the day,
They went out into the hayfield to have some sport and play,
And what they did there she never would declare,
But she never more complained of his growing.

And at the age of sixteen he was a married man,
And at the age of seventeen she brought to him a son,
And at the age of eighteen the grass grew over him,
And that soon put an end to his growing.

Martin Carthy sings The Trees They Do Grow High

Oh the trees they do grow high and the leaves they do grow green,
And many's the cold winter's night my love and I have seen.
On a cold winter's night my love you and I alone have been.
Oh my bonny boy is young but he's growing,
Growing, growing,
My bonny boy is young but he's growing

“Oh father, dear father, you've done to me much harm,
For to go and get me married to one who is so young.
For he is only sixteen years old and I am twenty-one,
Oh my bonny boy is young but he's growing,
Growing, growing,
My bonny boy is young but he's growing.”

“Oh daughter, dear daughter, I'll tell you what I'll do,
I'll send your love to college for another year or two.
And all around his college cap I'll tie a ribbon blue,
For to let the ladies know that he's married,
Married, married,
To let the ladies know that he's married.”

Now at the age of sixteen he was a married man,
And at the age of seventeen the father to a son,
And at the age of eighteen the grass grew over him.
Cruel death soon put an end to his growing,
Growing, growing,
Cruel death soon put an end to his growing.

And now my love is dead and in his grave doth lie,
The green grass grows over him so very very high.
I'll sit here and mourn his death until the day I die
And I'll watch all o'er his child while he's growing,
Growing, growing,
I'll watch all o'er his child while he's growing,

Robin & Barry Dransfield sing The Trees They Do Grow High

Oh, the trees they do grow high and the leaves they do grow green,
And many's the long and winter's night my love and I have seen.
It's a cold and winter's night, my love, you and I must lie alone.
My bonny boy is young but he's growing.

“Oh father, dear father, you've done to me great wrong,
To go and get me married to one who is too young.
Oh, he's only sixteen years and I am twenty one,
My bonny boy is young but he's growing.”

“Oh daughter, dear daughter, I'll tell you what we do:
We'll send your love to college for another year or two.
And all around his college cap we'll tie a ribbon blue
To let the ladies know that he's married.”

So early, so early, so early the next day,
This couple they went out to sport amongst the hay;
And what they did there I never will declare,
But she never more complained of his growing.

At the age of sixteen he was a married man,
And at the age of seventeen the father to a son,
And at the age of eighteen the grass grow over him,
Cruel death had put an end to his growing.

Tony Rose sings The Trees They Do Grow High

The trees they do grow high and the leaves they do grow green,
The day is past and gone, my love, that you and I have seen.
It's a cold winter's night, my love, when you and I must lie alone.
The bonny lad is young but he's growing.

“Oh father, dearest father, you've done to me great wrong,
You married me a boy and I fear he is too young.”
“Oh daughter, dearest daughter, and if you stay at home and wait along with me,
A lady you shall be while he's growing.”

“We'll send him to the college, all for a year or two,
And then perhaps in time, my love, a man he may grow.
I will buy you a bunch of white ribbons to tie about his bonny, bonny waist
To let the ladies know that he's married.”

And so early in the morning at the dawning of the day,
They went out into the hayfield to have some sport and play,
And what they did there she never would declare,
But she never more complained of his growing.

At the age of sixteen, oh, he was a married man,
And at the age of seventeen she brought to him a son.
At the age of eighteen, my love, oh his grave was growing green
And so she put to an end to his growing.

I made my love a shroud of the holland oh so fine
And every stich she put in it, the tears come trinkling down.
Oh once I had a sweetheart but now I have got never a one,
So fare you well my own true love forever.

Now he is dead and buried and in the churchyard laid
The green grass is all over him so very, very thick
Oh once I had a sweetheart but now I have got never a one,
So fare you well my own true love forever.

Peter Bellamy sings The Trees They Do Grow High

Now the trees they do grow high, love, the leaves they do grow green,
The time it is now gone, love, that you and I have seen.
It's a cold winter's night when you and I must bide alone
For the bonny boy is young, he's a-growing, growing,
For the bonny boy is young, he's a-growing.

“Oh father, dear father, you have done to me much wrong,
You've married me to a boy who I fear is too young.”
“Oh daughter, dear daughter, if you stay at home with me
Then a lady you will be while he's growing, growing,
A lady you will be while he's growing.”

“Oh, we will send your love to college, for another year or two,
Perhaps in that time to a man he will grow.
I will buy you white ribbons for to bind around his bonny waist
Just to let the ladies know that he's married, married,
Just to let the ladies know that he's married.”

As I was a-looking off my father's castle wall
There I spied all them bonny boys they was playing at the ball.
And my true love he ran among them, he was flower of all,
Though my bonny boy is young, he's a-growing, growing,
Though my bonny boy is young, he's a-growing.

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, love, well his grave it was a-growing green,
So she soon saw the end of his growing, growing,
So she soon saw the end of his growing.

I made my love a shroud of the Holland oh so fine,
Every stitch I put in it, my tears came trickling down.
And I will mourn his fate until the day that I do die,
But I will watch o'er his child while it's growing, growing,
Yes I will watch o'er his child while it's growing.

Steeleye Span's Long A-Growing

As I was walking by yonder church wall,
I saw four-and-twenty young men a-playing at the ball.
I asked for my own true love but they wouldn't let him come,
For they said the boy was young but a-growing.

“Father, dear father, you've done me much wrong,
You've tied me to a boy when you know he is too young.”
“But he will make a Lord for you to wait upon,
And a lady you will be while he's growing.”

“We'll send him to college for one year or two
And maybe in time the boy will do for you.
I'll buy you white ribbons to tie around his waist
For to let the ladies know that he's married.”

The trees they do grow high and the leaves they do grow green,
The day is passed and gone, my love, that you and I have seen.
It's on a cold winter's night that I must lie alone,
For the bonny boy is young but a-growing.

At the age of sixteen he was a married man,
And at the age of seventeen the father to a son,
And at the age of eighteen his grave it did grow green.
Cruel dead had put an end to his growing.

Eliza Carthy sings Growing

The trees they do grow high, the leaves they do grow green,
The time is long past, love, you and I have seen.
It's a cold winter's night that you and I must bide alone,
Tho' my bonny lad is young, he's a-growin'.

“Oh father, dear father, you've done me much wrong,
You've married me to a boy who I fear is too young.”
“Oh daughter, dear daughter, if you stay at home with me,
A lady you shall be while he's growin'.”

“And we'll send him off to college for one year or two
Perhaps then, my love, to a man he will grow.
Now I'll buy you white ribbons to tie round his bonny waist
So the ladies will know that he's married.”

At the age of sixteen he was a married man,
And at seventeen the father of a son,
At the age of eighteen, love, his grave it was a-growin' green,
So she saw the end of his growin'

I made my love a shroud of Holland oh so fine,
Every stitch I put in it, the tears came trickling down.
Now I'll abhor his fate until the day I shall die,
And I'll watch o'er his child while it's growin',
I'll watch o'er his child while it's growin'.

Now my love is dead and in his grave he lies
And the grass I sowed o'er him it groweth so high.
I had a sweetheart but now I've got never a one,
Fare ye well my own true love for growin', growin',
Fare ye well my own true love for growin'.

Jon Boden & Fay Hield sing The Trees They Do Grow High

Oh, the trees they do grow high and the leaves they do grow green,
And it's many's the long and winter's night my love and I have seen.
It's a cold and winter's night, my love, you and I must lie alone.
Oh, my bonny boy is young but he's growing.

“Oh father, dear father, you've done to me great wrong,
To go and get me married to a boy who is too young.
For, he is only sixteen years and I am twenty one,
Oh, my bonny boy is young but he's growing.”

“Oh daughter, dear daughter, I'll tell you what we'll do:
We will send him off to college for another year or two.
And all around his college cap we will tie the ribbons blue
For to let the ladies know that he's married.”

So early, so early, so early the next day,
This couple they went out for to sport among the hay;
And what they did there I never will declare,
But she never more complained of his growing.

At the age of sixteen he was a married man,
And at the age of seventeen the father to a son,
But at the age of eighteen years the grass grow over him,
Cruel death had put an end to his growing.

Acknowledgements

Garry Gillard transcibed Martin Carthy's version and Kira White transcribed the version sung by Eliza Carthy.