Lady Mary Anne looked over the castle wall
And there she saw twa bonny laddies playing at the ball
And the youngest of them was the fairest of all
He's my bonny boy he's young and he's growing O


O father dearest father you have done me a great wrong
For to go and get married to a lad who is so young
For he being only sixteen years and I am twenty one
He's my bonny boy he's young and he's growing O

Daughter dearest daughter I have done you no wrong
For to go and get you married to a lad who is so young
He will be a match for you when I am dead and gone
He's your bonny boy he's young and he's growing O

Father dearest father then I'll tell you what we'll do
We'll send my love to college for another year or two
All around his college cap we'll bind the ribbons blue
To let the ladies know that he's married O

Well young Charlie Cochrane was the sprout of an oak
Blithe aye and bonny and straight was his neck
And the sun when it shone it was all for his sake
He will be the pride of the forest O

Lady Mary Anne was the flower among the dew
Blithe aye and bonny and straight was her shoe
The longer she blossomed well the sweeter she grew
For the lilly in the bud will be bonnier O

The summer it is gone and the leaves they were green
Happy were the days that both you and I have seen
Ah but far happier days I trust will come again
For my bonny boy he's young and he's growing O

Oh well at the age of sixteen years he was a married man
At the age of seventeen the father of his son
Ah but at the age of eighteen o'er his grave the grass grew green
Cruel death had put an end to his growing O

I will weave my love a shroud of the ornamental brown
While I am a weaving it the tears they will fall down
For once I had a true love but now he's lying low
I'll nurse his bonny boy while he's growing O