Leaves

My Dad is getting ready to leave. He once sang a song in his Barbershop Quartet, the Soundtracks, that brought the audience to tears called "Tying the Leaves". It is a very old song about a little girl who is sick and the doctor thinks she will die in the fall...when the last leaves fall. Her little friend understands this and ties the leaves onto the tree so that his playmate won't go away.

Listen to it here: http://moredomainsforless.com/audio/leaves.mp3

Lyrics:



I'M TYING THE LEAVES (SO THEY WON'T COME DOWN)


(E.S.S. Huntingdon / J. Fred Helf)Byron Harlan - 1907Also recorded by:Grandpa Jones



Playmates were they, girl and lad.
She's home today, he feels sad.
Doctor who calls, whispers low:"When the last autumn leaves fall, then she must go."
Lad, with a tear, climbs a tree."I'll keep her here." murmurs he.
Cop on the beat, loudly cries:"What are you doing lad?"

He replies:

CHORUS
"I'm tying the leaves so they won't come down,
So the wind won't blow them away,
For the best little girl in the wide wide world,
Is lying so ill today.
Her young life must go when the last leaves fall.
I'm fixing them fast so they'll stay.
I'm tying the leaves so they won't come down,
So Nellie won't go away."

Playmate, come out and play with me… Nellie, don’t go away..

CHORUS