Woodman Woodman Spare That Tree! 1911 Irving Berlin

by James Pitt-Payne, London Uk - 18 February 2011
2011

A great big tree grows near our house
It's been there quite some time,
This tree's a slipp'ry elm tree
and very hard to climb.
But when my wife starts after me,
up in that tree I roost,
I go up like a healthy squirrel
and never need no boost.
The other day a woodman came
to chop the refuge down,
And carve it into kindling wood,
to peddle 'round the town,
I says to him: "I pray thee cease,
desist, refrain and stop,
lay down that forest razor man,
chop not a single chop."

Woodman, Woodman,
spare that tree,
touch not a single bough,
For years it has protected me,
and I'll protect it now,
Chop down an oak, a birch or pine,
but not this slipp'ry elm of mine,
It's the only tree
that my wife can't climb
so spare that tree.

Woodman, Woodman,
spare that tree,
touch not a single bough,
For years it has protected me,
and I'll protect it now,
Chop down an oak, a birch or pine,
but not this slipp'ry elm of mine,
It's the only tree
that my wife can't climb
so spare that tree.

I said to him: "You see that hole,
Up near that old tree top,
I've got five dollars there, that's yours,
if you refrain to chop.
No beast but me can climb that tree,
'cause it's too slippery,
I can't get up myself,
unless my wife is after me,
So get my wife, and I'll call her
a very naughty word,
And then you'll see me
give an imitation of a bird.
You may not know just where to go,
when my wife gets around,
But when she comes, remember this,
if I'm not on the ground."

Woodman, Woodman,
spare that tree,
touch not a single bough,
For years it has protected me,
and I'll protect it now,
Chop down an oak, a birch or pine,
but not this slipp'ry elm of mine,
It's the only tree
that my wife can't climb
so spare that tree.

Woodman, Woodman,
spare that tree,
touch not a single bough,
For years it has protected me,
and I'll protect it now,
Chop down an oak, a birch or pine,
but not this slipp'ry elm of mine,
It's the only tree
that my wife can't climb
so spare that tree.

Soft karaoke
Words
piano 1
piano 2
piano 3
piano 4
lyric
pizz str bass
*
Woodman Woodman Spare That Tree! 1911 Irving Berlin
by Irving Berlin & Vincent Bryan
© 1911 by Ted Snyder Co. - New York
*
sequence & karaoke by James Pitt-Payne, London UK
on Friday 18 February 2011 at 17.39
in association with Veda Meyer-Castens
*