She can cook and she can spin, she can do most anything But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother Can she bake a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? Can she make a feather bed, Charming Billy? She can bake a cherry pie, quick as a cat can wink her eye But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother Can she make a feather bed, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? Can she bake a cherry pie, Charming Billy? She can bake a cherry pie, Quick's a cat can wink her eye. Can she make a feather bed, Charming Billy? She's a young thing, And cannot leave her mother. The tone of the nursery rhyme is ironic and teasing, both the question and answer form : She can make a cherry pie, quick as a cat can wink an eye, She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother. She can bake a cherry pie, Quick's a cat can wink her eye. Can she make a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy, Can she make a cherry pie, charming Billy? She can bake a cherry pie, quick as a cat can wink her eye But she's a young thing and cannot leave her mother Can she make a feather bed, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? She's a young thing, And cannot leave her mother.