Lyrics
A time to be reapin', a time to be sowin'.
A time for harvesting and a time for planting.
The green leaves of Summer are callin' me home.
The vibrant foliage of summer is beckoning me back to my home.
'Twas so good to be young then, in a season of plenty,
It was delightful to be young in a time of abundance.
When the catfish were jumpin' as high as the sky.
Recalling a time when joy was abundant, symbolized by catfish leaping high.
A time just for plantin', a time just for ploughin'.
A time specifically for planting crops and plowing fields.
A time to be courtin' a girl of your own.
A time for pursuing and courting a romantic partner.
'Twas so good to be young then, to be close to the earth,
Reflecting on the goodness of youth and the connection to nature.
And to stand by your wife at the moment of birth.
Emphasizing the significance of standing by one's spouse during childbirth.
A time to be reapin', a time to be sowin'.
Reiteration of the cyclical nature of life, with seasons for harvesting and planting.
The green leaves of Summer are callin' me home.
The allure of the green leaves of summer calling the narrator back home.
'Twas so good to be young then, with the sweet smell of apples,
Nostalgia for the pleasant scent of apples and the presence of an owl in a pine tree.
And the owl in the pine tree a-winkin' his eye.
Imagery of nature, with an owl symbolically winking, creating a vivid memory.
A time just for plantin', a time just for ploughin'.
Specific times designated for planting and plowing, integral to agricultural life.
A time just for livin', a place for to die.
Emphasis on the continuum of life, from living to eventually finding a place to die.
'Twas so good to be young then, to be close to the earth,
Reflecting on the positive aspects of being close to the earth during youth.
Now the green leaves of Summer are callin' me home.
The recurring theme of the green leaves of summer drawing the narrator homeward.
'Twas so good to be young then, to be close to the earth,
Reiteration of the goodness of being close to the earth during youthful times.
Now the green leaves of Summer are callin' me home.
Final mention of the green leaves of summer calling the narrator back home.
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