One of the songs I remember from childhood was Lemon Tree. I remember singing it at a school concert as part of a class choir. At the age of 9 I did not really understand the meaning of the lyrics or their context. As a young boy I appreciated the girls at my school and had quite a few female friends. I knew the feeling of being fixated on the occasional very beautiful girl in school. But in my prepubescent years I had no idea about romantic rollercoasters or the emotional turmoil of relationships. I really had no idea what the song was about except that it was a nice song and a little sad.
As an adult I can understand how prescient the lyrics are as they relate to heart ache, loneliness and especially the MGTOW movement. Lemon Tree is arguably a MGTOW anthem. It speaks to many of the issues raised by MGTOW thinkers. The emotional vulnerability of men to their heart strings and the casual hypergamy of women. It speaks to the different agendas of men and women in relationships. The fact that men and women operate at cross purposes in a relationship. Men do not know these dynamics. There is no active education of men in these matters and there seems little incentive for society to provide any. But it should be noted that in the song the "lad of ten" is given exactly this education and it fails to offer him the protection he needs. That may be a pessimistic omen for men in general. That the big head is over ruled by the little head in the affairs of the heart. Below are 2 versions, one by the Seekers and the other by Peter Paul and Mary. The lyrics supplied are from Peter Paul and Mary. Enjoy.
Lemon Tree
When I was just a lad of ten, my father said to me,
"Come here and take a lesson from the lovely lemon tree."
"Don't put your faith in love, my boy", my father said to me,
"I fear you'll find that love is like the lovely lemon tree."
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
One day beneath the lemon tree, my love and I did lie
A girl so sweet that when she smiled the stars rose in the sky.
We passed that summer lost in love beneath the lemon tree
The music of her laughter hid my father's words from me:
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
One day she left without a word. She took away the sun.
And in the dark she left behind, I knew what she had done.
She'd left me for another, it's a common tale but true.
A sadder man but wiser now I sing these words to you:
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat.
