American Old Time Song Lyrics: 14 The Letters We Carved On The Tree

Theater, Music-Hall, Nostalgic, Irish & Historic Old Songs, Volume 14

The Letters We Carved on-the Tree.
Copyright, 1883, by Frank B. Haynes

How sweetly the daisies were springing,
How drowsy the hum of the bees,
How gaily the robin was singing
His sweet, mellow song in the trees;
When beautiful Jennie, the queen of the May,
Confessed her affection for me;
And blushingly help'd me to cut out that day
Our names on the bark of the tree.

Chorus.
The letters remain here with moss overgrown,
But death took my darling from me-
And oft I come hither to sorrow alone,
O'er the letters we carv'd on the tree.

The pride of the village was Jennie,
We made her the queen of the May,
And 'mong the young lads there were many
Who courted her favor that day;
But she turned from them all when I asked her comment
To go out a Maying with me;
Oh, happy that day were the moments we spent
In carving our names on the tree.-Chorus.

Then I sailed away over the ocean,
As lovers did often of old,
To prove my heart's earnest devotion,
By bringing her jewels and gold;
But the vessel was wreck'd on a far away shore,
And when I came back o'er the sea,
I found she was dead, and would look nevermore
On the letters we carved on the tree.-Chorus.

Sweet letters, how full of affection,
Oh, let them remain on the tree;
They're full of a sweet recollection
Of times that were pleasant to me;
When through the gay woodland I wander'd along
With Jennie, the queen of the May,
Our hearts keeping time to the blithe, happy song
The robin was singing that day.-Chorus.