Joseph was an old man and an old man was he,
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and he has married Mary, the queen of Galilee,
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and he has married Mary, the queen of Galilee
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As Joseph and Mary walked in the garden green,
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where the cherries hung heavy on every limb
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"Pick me some cherries, Joseph,
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pick me some cherries, do,
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pick me some cherries, Joseph,
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that grow on the bough"
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But up spoke old Joseph with his words so unkind:
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"Let the man gather the cherries that owneth the child"
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Then up spoke our Saviour all in his mother's womb:
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"Bow down, thou lofty cherry tree, that Mary may have some"
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The very top branches bowed down to her feet
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"Now you can see, Joseph, there are cherries for me"
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As Joseph was walking he heard an angel sing
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"This night shall be the birth time of Christ, the heavenly King
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He neither shall be born in house nor in hall
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nor in the place of paradise but in an ox's stall
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He neither shall be clothed in purple nor in pall
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but in the fair white linen that's used in babies all
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He neither shall be rocked in silver nor in gold
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but in a wooden manger that resteth on the mould
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The Cherry Tree Carol
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Iris Dement |