June Tabor - The Month Of January lyrics

It was in the month of January
The hills all clad with snow
It was over hills and valley my
True love he did go
It was then I met a pretty young girl
With a salt tear in her eye
She had a baby in her arms
And bitter she did cry

Oh cruel was my father that he
Barred the door to me
And cruel was my mother that
Dreadful crime to see
Cruel was my own true love that
He changed his mind for gold
And cruel was that winter's night that
Pierced my heart with cold

For the taller that the palm tree
Grows the sweeter is the bark
And the fairer that a young man speaks
The falser is his heart
For he'll kiss you and embrace you till
He thinks he has you won
Then he'll go away and leave you
All for some other one

So come all you pretty fair maidens
And a warning take by me
Never try and build your nest at
The top of a high tree
For the green leaves they will wither
And the branches all decay
And the beauty of a young man
It soon will fade away