My young man wears a frown
With his eyes all closed and his head bowed down,
My young man never sleeps
The rain it falls upon his back
The dust before his eyes is black,
Oft the times, oft the times my young man weeps

My young man wears a coat,
Once, long ago, a bonnie coat
Which my young man wore with pride
Now I dress the coat all on his back,
For love for him I will not lack,
But to see it now, that collier's coat, I can't abide

My young man, where's he gone?
Once in his eyes my whole world shone
Now my young man he looks away
Man and wife we used to be
Now he's like a child upon my knee
And in my arms I help my young man through the day

A young girl no more am I
But I shall not weep and I will not cry,
For my young man needs me still
If someone's watching up above
You'll see how much my dear I love,
So leave him here, I need him now and always will
Oh if someone's watching up above
You'll see how much my dear I love,
And If he must go, let your best angels keep him well