Woodman, Woodman, Spare That Tree

From Ziegfeld Follies of 1911
Words and music by Irving Berlin and Vincent Bryan (after a poem by George Pope Morris – 1837)


The sheet music:


Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:


Lyrics

  1. 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 razor, man
    Chop not a single chop”

[chorus:]
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

  1. I said to him, “You see that hole
    Up near that old treetop
    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”

Second chorus, after 78rpm records by Bob Roberts (Victor 1911–16909-A) and Bert Williams (Columbia 1913–A1321)

Woodman, Woodman spare that tree,
Touch not a single bough
I’ll throw that five-spot down to thee,
Just like I promised thou.
But you’d better make your axe behave.
This slipp’ry elm you’ve got to save.
It’s the borderline twixt me and the grave.
Woodman, spare that tree!


Sung here by Laurence Rubenstein: