Lyrics:

Oh father, dear father
You've done to me much wrong
You've gone and got me married to a boy
Who is too young
For he is only 16 years and I am 21
Oh my darling boy is young but he's growing
Oh daughter, dear daughter
It's you who have done wrong
For you and he together have gone and got a son
And he must have a father when I am dead and gone
Oh your darling boy is young but he's growing
One day as I was walking down by the college wall
I saw the young men they were playing football
My true love was there, he was the finest of them all
My darling boy is young but he's growing
Another day I was walking down by the college wall
I saw the pusher, he was making his call
My true love was there, he was the palest of them all
Oh the dealer put an end to his growing
At the age of sixteen years he was a married man
And at the age of seventeen, the father of a son
The grass grew over him
The dealer put an end to his growing

Oh the Springtime is past
And the Summer's coming on
It's earring, beads and bangles the young girls
Have put on
Once I had a true love but now I have got none
But I 'll watch over his son while he's growing