There is a dis-connect that bothers me. In the second verse she is walking "by fields of young corn" but in the the third verse we are told "the fields they stand empty."

So if I am performing the song for an audience more than my self, I'll preceed the third verse in a speaking voice with the intro, "But for years and years...." Seems to tie the sentiment and what the song is trying to convey better, at least to me. It is one of those songs that merits an explanation before you sing it. Gopherit