Woodturner's Love Song Words & Music: Phyl Lobl

If I had a piece of Maple, red or white or pink,
I'd turn you a set of chair legs so you could sit and think.
And when you sit and think love I hope you'll think of me,
For I'd like to be there in your thoughts if not in your company.

If I had a piece of Coachwood white and fine and pure,
I'd turn you a handle smooth and round, a handle for your door.
And when I come to see you, you could make that handle spin,
And open up the door my dear, to let your true love in.

If I had a piece of Silky Oak of even textured grain,
I’d turn you a lamp stand for your light, tapered tall and plain.
And when you turn your light on, I hope it'll be for me,
For you're the light of my life, the only one for me.

If I had a piece of Cedar, the grain well shot with red,
I'd turn you a set of corner posts for a fine double bed.
A bed for you to lie on with the one that you love best,
But I hope you'd lie with me love and farewell all the rest.

Yes I'm a turner, that's my trade, as you can plainly see,
But the thing I'd really like to turn is to turn your heart to me.
Alas in that I have no skill, I've never learnt the art,
And Cedar, Maple and Silky Oak don't make a lover's heart*.

If I had a piece of each of these with singing strings tuned fine,
I'd turn them into an instrument to ease this heart of mine.
I'd let my fingers do the work that words can't quite make plain,
They'd tell you then about love's joy and also of love's pain.

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Audio

This song was written in the early seventies. I wanted to write a song about industrial realities for wood-turners.

I interviewed a woodturner Neil Bollingmoore and it became a love song when he spoke so lovingly about wood that I wrote a love song about someone who had much love to give but was shy and un-sure.

Some years later he rang and asked for the song as he was getting married. A few (too few) years after that his widow rang and wanted the song again to play at his funeral.

Some years later I asked an instrument maker (ROCKY CREEK STRINGS) to make me an all wooden Banjolele made of those woods. I added a verse. I also now repeat the last line of each verse.

The last verse is coloured by my own widowhood and Geri Lobl's love of Fritz Kreisler's compositions for violin LOVE'S JOY - Liebesfreud and LOVE'S SORROW - Liebesleid lover's instead of woman's is more universal.