Once in my youth, I stood on this mountain And planted some pines in the sand Every day I looked their way But just couldn't understand Why they never grew like I thought they should do I just couldn't understand why Now, I've rambled around this wide world through And today I just happened by Tall pines, tall pines Reaching up for the clouds Tall pines, tall pines I bet you wouldn't know me now I'll never forget the morning I left The hum of the bees in the hay The farther I walk, the harder they talk How silent it seems here today There's an old rail fence that we built, inch by inch Surrounding the old family graves And there's one gravestone standing all alone There waiting to join me in the shade Tall pines, tall pines Reaching up for the clouds Tall pines, tall pines I've come home to sleep beneath your boughs