One green April mornin', when I was a young boy
I lay by the window, a-watchin' the rain
And I wondered if ever the sun would come shinin'
So I could go somewhere to play

Then down from the sky flew a little brown sparrow
And he lit on the branch of an old willow tree
And he sit there, watchin', as I lay wond'rin'
Just the little brown sparrow and me

On a green April mornin', when I was a young boy
And little brown sparrows were free

Then he looked in my window and he spied his reflection
There was the willow, there was the sky
And he wondered if ever the sun would come shinin'
And which was the way for the sparrow to fly

Well, he spread out his wings and he flew to the window
Fast as the wind, sure as could be
But the sky in the window was only a wishin'
For the little brown sparrow and me

On a green April mornin', when I was a young boy
And little brown sparrows were free

So there by the window, the sparrow had fallen
He died on the ground in the cold April rain
And I wondered if ever the sun would come shinin'
And someone could only explain

Then I laid there and saw the wind blow through the willow
And cover him over with yesterday's leaves
And there in the rain, I cried for a sparrow
For a little brown sparrow and me

On a green April mornin', when I was a young boy
And little brown sparrows were free
On a green April mornin', when life was a window
For a little brown sparrow and me