In the Month of January
Tommy Makem Lyrics


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It was in the month of January, the hills were clad in snow
As over hills and valleys, my true love he did go
It was there he spied a pretty fair maid, with a salt tear in her eye
She had a baby in her arms, and bitter she did cry

"Oh, cruel was my father to bar the door on me
And cruel was my mother, this dreadful crime to see
Cruel was my own true love to change his mind for gold
Cruel was that winter's night that pierced my heart with cold"

Oh, the taller that the palm tree grows, the sweeter is the bark
And the fairer that a young man speaks, the falser is his heart
He will kiss you and embrace you, 'till he thinks he has you won
Then he'll go away and leave you all for some other one

So come all you pretty fair maids, a warning take by me
And never try to build your nest on top of any tree




For the roots, they will all wither, and the branches all decay
And the beauties of a false young man, must all soon fade away

Overall Meaning

The song “In the Month of January” by Tommy Makem is a heart-wrenching ballad about a young woman who has been rejected by her lover and abandoned with their child. The lyrics describe how the bitter winter cold in the month of January seems to mirror the anguish in the young woman's heart. She meets her former lover, who had betrayed and abandoned her, and she grieves while holding her child. She had been abandoned by her family and lover, and she laments the cruel nature of her situation.


The song is a cautionary tale, warning young women against falling for false lovers. The lyrics state, “the fairer that a young man speaks, the falser is his heart.” The song emphasizes the importance of kindness and compassion, and warns against the cruelty that can be brought about by greed, selfishness, and an inability to see the value in a person or concept beyond material goods. Ultimately, the song tells us that well-being and happiness come from being true to oneself and being surrounded by people who share these values.


Overall, “In the Month of January” is a moving song that delves deep into themes of heartbreak, betrayal, and resilience. Its messages are both timeless and deeply applicable to the lives of people across cultures and across generations.


Line by Line Meaning

It was in the month of January, the hills were clad in snow
In the cold month of January, when the hills were covered in snow


As over hills and valleys, my true love he did go
As my true love traveled through the hills and valleys


It was there he spied a pretty fair maid, with a salt tear in her eye
He spotted a beautiful young girl, who was crying


She had a baby in her arms, and bitter she did cry
She was holding a baby and crying bitterly


"Oh, cruel was my father to bar the door on me
My father was cruel for locking me out


And cruel was my mother, this dreadful crime to see
My mother was also cruel for allowing this to happen


Cruel was my own true love to change his mind for gold
My true love was cruel for changing his mind because of money


Cruel was that winter's night that pierced my heart with cold"
That winter night was also cruel because it broke my heart


Oh, the taller that the palm tree grows, the sweeter is the bark
The taller the palm tree, the sweeter its bark, but appearances can be deceiving


And the fairer that a young man speaks, the falser is his heart
A handsome young man may say sweet words, but it doesn't mean he's honest


He will kiss you and embrace you, 'till he thinks he has you won
He will show affection until he thinks he's won you over


Then he'll go away and leave you all for some other one
Then he'll leave you for someone else


So come all you pretty fair maids, a warning take by me
All you beautiful young women, listen to my warning


And never try to build your nest on top of any tree
Don't rely on someone completely, because they may leave you


For the roots, they will all wither, and the branches all decay
Everything will come to an end and fall apart in due time


And the beauties of a false young man, must all soon fade away
A handsome but unfaithful man will not remain beautiful forever




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ASHLEY HUTCHINGS, TRADITIONAL, SIMON JOHN NICOL, SIMON CARE, CHRISTINE WHILE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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