when i was a young man courting the girls i played me a waiting game if a maid refused me with tossing curls i d let the old earth make a couple of whirls while i plied her with tears in lieu of pearls and as time came around she came my way as time came around she came oh it s a long long while from may to december but the days grow short when you reach september when the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame and you ain t got time for waiting game when days dwindle down to a precious few september november and these few golden days i d share with you those golden days i share with you when you meet with the young girls early in the spring you court them in song and rhyme they answer with words and a clover ring but if you could examine the goods they bring they have little to offer but the songs they sing and the plentiful waste of time of day a plentiful waste of time oh it s a long long while from may to december but the days grow short when you reach september when the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame one hasn t got time for the waiting game oh the days dwindle down to a precious few september november and these few precious days i ll spend with you these precious days i ll spend with you