Your little hands wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Jake Ely looked at his sleeping five year old daughter, Christina Louise Ely. His hair, her mothers eyes, she was truly daddy's little princess.
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in and turn on your favorite nightlight
He made sure that her princess pink blankets were tucked tightly around her little body, placed a kiss on her forehead, unaware of his wife watching him from the doorway.
To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
Christina found joy in everything that she did, it was either chasing butterflies or teasing the family dog. Jake always smiled more when she was happy.
I'd give all I have honey
If you could stay like that
If only he could force her to stay that way… (Chorus:)
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
At this age there were no worries about boys or school bullies. No worries about fashion or having the right friends. Just simply the joy of living life.
I won't let nobody hurt you
Wont let no one break your heart
No one will desert you
At this point Jake didn't have to hold a crying girl whose heart was broken, or chase after the idiot boyfriend.
Just try to never grow up You're in the car on the way to the movies
Never grow up
And you're mortified your mama's dropping you off
He knew that it hurt Sam, they way that their teen-aged daughter treated them like old geezers.
At 14, there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out
Someday and call your own shots
Everyday Christina counted the days until she could "leave this stupid desert" as she liked to call it.
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember she's getting older too
While Sam was still young at heart, there were more wrinkles around her eyes, and a few more grays than normal in her hair.
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your PJs getting ready for school
And while Christina tried to act older than she was, Jake passed by her room every morning just to see her dance the same way that she did when she was little. (Chorus:)
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
If only she could stay this age, Jake thought. Just so I don't have to give her up.
It could stay this simple
No one's ever burned
Nothing's ever left you scarred
Even though you want to, just try to never grow up
While she had had crushes on certain guys at school, her precious little heart had never been scared with the pain of rejection.
Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
One that had been painted with horses running around on the playa…
Memorize what is sounded like what your dad gets home
The way Jake always greeted his children with hugs, and his wife with a kiss and a loving smile…
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I had is someday gonna be gone
Christina's 18th birthday was here, today was the day she was going to announce how she was moving to Las Vegas to live in the big city like she always wanted.
So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
Her mother cried when saying good-bye, and reminded her at least ten times that they were just a phone call away. Her father barley said anything. He was too busy trying to hide his tears.
It's so much colder than I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my nightlight on
Only now in the darkness of her new apartment did she realize everything that she missed about home…
Wish I'd never grown up
The sound of horses neighing…
I wish I'd never grown up
Her father's gentile snoring…
Oh I don't wanna grow up
The constant noise of her 6 other brother's living in the small house…
Wish I'd never grown up
Could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up
It could still be simple
Only now did she wish that she had spent more time enjoying her childhood, instead of wasting it on wanting to grow up.
(Chorus:)
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Ten years later, Christina was looking at her own newborn daughter. She finally understood her parents wish…
Oh darling don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heat
And even through you want to, please try to never grow up
Holding the newborn Amanda Samantha Collin, she softly whispered to her…
Don't you ever grow up
Just never grow up