D [Verse 1] A F#m G A D It was in the month of January, the hills all clad in snow A D A F#m Bm Twas over hills and mountains my true love he did go A D A F#m Bm It was then he spied a pretty fair maid with a salt tear in her eye A F#m G A D She had a baby in her arms and bitter she did cry [Verse 2] A F#m G A D "Oh cruel was my father to bar the door on me A D A F#m Bm And cruel was my mother this dreadful crime to see A D A F#m Bm Cruel was my own true love to change his mind for gold A F#m G A D Cruel was that winter's night that pierced my heart with cold [Verse 3] A F#m G A D For the taller that the palm tree grows the sweeter is the bark A D A F#m Bm And the fairer that a young man speaks, the falser is his heart A D A F#m Bm He will kiss you and embrace you till he thinks he has you won A F#m G A D Then he'll go away and leave you all for some other one [Verse 4] A F#m G A D Now come all you pretty fair maids, a warning take by me A D A F#m Bm And never try and build your nest on top of any tree A D A F#m Bm For the roots; they will all wither and the branches all decay A F#m G A D And the beauties of a false young man it must all soon fade away