Lyr Req: The Woodpecker Song

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Woodpecker Song
From: Mr Happy
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 05:08 PM

Disaster at Sea   

It was a calm, still day in Yarmouth,
The channel clear and wide,
As the last of the timber sailing ships
Sailed out on the evening tide.

They never saw that ship again;
They searched when it was light,
But that fine old timber vessel sank
That clear and peaceful night.

No one knows what happened
On that night in 1910;
But the crew and her cargo of woodpeckers
Were never seen again.

[Les Barker - 2005]

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WOOD-PECKER (Thomas Moore, M Kelly)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 08:28 AM

From the sheet music at Johns Hopkins University:


THE WOOD-PECKER
Words by Thomas Moore; music, Michael Kelly. n.d.

[1] I knew by the smoke, that so gracefully curl'd
Above the green elms, that a cottage was near,
And I said, "If there's peace to be found in the world,
A heart that was humble might hope for it here!
The heart that was humble might hope for it here!"

[CHORUS] Ev'ry leaf was at rest
And I heard not a sound
But the woodpecker tapping the hollow beech tree.
Ev'ry leaf was at rest,
And I heard not a sound;
Ev'ry leaf was at rest,
And I heard not a sound
But the woodpecker tapping the hollow beech tree,
But the woodpecker tapping the hollow beech tree,
But the woodpecker tapping the hollow beech tree.

[2] And "Here in this lone little wood," I exclaim'd,
"With a maid who was lovely to soul and to eye,
Who would blush when I prais'd her, and weep when I blam'd,
How blest could I live, and how calm could I die!
How blest could I live, and how calm could I die!

[3] By the shade of yon sumach, whose red berry dips
In the gush of the fountain how sweet to recline,
And to know that I sigh'd upon innocent lips,
Which had never been sigh'd on by any but mine!
Which had never been sigh'd on by any but mine!


[The sheet music bears no date, but some cataloguers have guessed around 1820. The words were published as a poem called "Ballad Stanzas" in Moore's Epistles, Odes, and Other Poems in 1806. Other composers set it to music also.]

Subject: Lyr Add: I THINK I HEAR A WOODPECKER KNOCKING...
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 12:42 AM

From the sheet music at Baylor University:


I THINK I HEAR A WOODPECKER KNOCKING AT MY FAMILY TREE
Words by Will M. Hough & Frank R. Adams; music by Joseph E. Howard; ©1909.
From the musical comedy, "The Golden Girl."

1. My fami'ly tree is an awful sight to see,
For the bark is all worn bare.
It's a busted stump which is mostly punk
And the worms are nesting there.
I'd point with pride to the ones who died
In my genealogy,
But the fact is this: almost all my kin and kith
Have been hanged upon that tree.

CHORUS: I think I hear a woodpecker knocking on my fam'ly tree.
While I hear his knock, knock, knock, I think he's on to me.
My fam'ly did a whole lot of things that ain't in history,
But when he gets free with my ancestry,
He's knocking me.

2. My father Dan was a literary man.
He lived by and in the pen.
When he got away, it was safe to say
He would soon be back again.
My Uncle Frank for his work in a bank
By the police was in demand,
While my cousin Roy was an awful handy boy
With a stocking full of sand.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WOODPECKER SONG (Adamson/Di Lazzaro)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Feb 17 - 12:11 AM

From the sheet music at the The National Library of Australia:


THE WOODPECKER SONG / REGINELLA CAMPAGNOLA
English words by Harold Adamson; original Italian words by Bruno Cherubini (pseudonym "C. Bruno"); music by Eldo Di Lazzaro; ©1939.

He's up each morning bright and early
To wake up all the neighbourhood,
To bring to ev'ry boy and girlie
His happy serenade on wood.
Hear him pickin' out a melody:
Peck, peck, peckin' at the same old tree.
He's as happy as a bumblebee,
All day long.

To serenade your lady,
Just find a tree that's shady,
And when you hear that tick-a-tick-tick, tick-a-tick-tick, tick-a-tick-tick, sing right along.
Come on and try his rhythm
And let your hearts beat with 'im.
Just listen to that tick-a-tick-tick, tick-a-tick-tick, happy little woodpecker song.

[There is a Wikipedia article about this song.]

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WOODPECKER (F. Manley/E. Nevin)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 24 Feb 17 - 11:51 PM

From the sheet music at the University of Maine:


THE WOODPECKER
Words, Frederick Manley; music, Ethelbert Nevin, ©1902.

[1] There's someone tapping on the maple tree,
Tap, tipy, tap, tap, tap;
But there's no one about that I can see,
Save a lark that is singing a song of glee
On a sunlit bough, and it isn't he
That is tapping away so steadily,
Tap, tipy, tap, tap, tap.

[2] There's someone coming down the maple tree,
Tap, tipy, tap, tap, tap;
And he's hopping about so busily
In a cap quite as red as a barberry,
And a coat deeply blue as a starlit sea
An he's singing a laughing melody,
Tap, tipy, tap, tap, tap.

[3] There's someone going to the maple tree,
Tap, tipy, tap, tap, tap;
He's as gay as a prince or a lord, but he
Hasn't time to go 'round shown off, you see,
For he stays in the woods working lovingly
At a snug little home for his family,
Tap, tipy, tap, tap, tap.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Woodpecker Song
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Feb 17 - 08:32 PM

I've been singing this version since nursery school 75 years ago. Taught it to my family too. [e-mail]

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: GUEST,Momp5
Date: 25 Apr 01 - 01:08 PM

Here's another one:

A woodpecker sat on a tree in the woods
And he knocked-tatoo-tatoo
And he called to the little white worm inside
"I've come to visit you!"
But the little white worm just peeked outside,
Saw the woodpecker's cap of red.
"I think I will stay in my home today!"
The little worm wisely said.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Ferrara
Date: 25 Apr 01 - 10:45 PM

Ummm... Amos... Actually there was a bit more to it than that.... Darned if I can remember it though. I remember a bit of the tune, is all.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Amos
Date: 25 Apr 01 - 09:20 PM

Just to round it off, the words to the V version are roughly (from memory):

Ahahahaha!

Ahahahaha!

It's the Woody Woodpecker Song!!

Ahahahaha!

Ahahahaha!He sings it all day long.

Ahahahaha!

Ahahahaha!

Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Apr 01 - 06:21 PM

no sexual connotation with a pecker in it?
we'll be doubting that "Bunch of Thyme" is not a moral tale for young lasses not to trust sailors nor wander with them in the garden
and garden, thyme and rose are not pre-victorian euphemisms

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: GUEST,Momp5
Date: 25 Apr 01 - 01:08 PM

Here's another one: A woodpecker sat on a tree in the woods And he knocked-tatoo-tatoo And he called to the little white worm inside "I've come to visit you!" But the little white worm just peeked outside, Saw the woodpecker's cap of red. "I think I will stay in my home today!" The little worm wisely said.

This is what I sing to my children when they want "The Woodpecker Song". Please, don't anyone try to give that one a sexual connotation!!!!!

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From:
Date: 24 Apr 01 - 09:09 PM

Or do you mean this one?

Woody knows nothing but pecking on a bough.

Ah, but the sky's of blue!

Never knew till I met you

What love, oh love, could do, do,

Love, oh love, could do.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: MMario
Date: 24 Apr 01 - 09:02 PM

Thanks Bill - I can find Dixie to work up that one.... another one down!

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Apr 01 - 06:47 PM

Puts you right off Woodpecker cider.....

LTS

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: GUEST,Seth from China
Date: 24 Apr 01 - 06:30 PM

"The Woodpecker Song" was recorded by the Andrews sisters during World War 2 (He's up each morning....) I used to have that 78, with "Down by the Ohio" on the other side. When I was little, I played it A LOT!!!!!!.... or so my mother tells me. Seth from China

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Bill D
Date: 24 Apr 01 - 06:14 PM

Micca's & mine go to "Dixie", the way I heard it

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: MMario
Date: 24 Apr 01 - 03:16 PM

Tunes for any of these?

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: rabbitrunning
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 08:59 PM

I learned that when I was a kid as the little skunk's hole, with slightly different lyrics than these in the DT. Wasn't quite Turkey in the straw either.

Thusly:

Oh, I stuck my head in a little skunk's hole
And the little skunk said, "Well, Bless my soul"
Take it out, take it out, take it out, take it out
Remooooooove it."

Well, I didn't remove it and the little skunk said,
"If you don't remove it you will wish you had
Take it out, take it out, take it out, take it our
Remoooooove it."

SSSSSSSSSSSSS(Long ominious hissing sound...)

I remoooooved it, too late!

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Micca
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 10:19 AM

Just in case it was the "other" Woodpecker song here are the words
THE WOODPECKER SONG
Traditional
I put my finger in the woodpecker's hole,
And the woodpecker said, "God bless my soul,
Take it out,
Take it out,
Take it out,
Remove it,

I removed my finger from the woodpecker's hole
And the woodpecker said, " God bless my soul,
Put it back,
Put it back,
Put it back,
Replace it.

I rep1aced my finger in the woodpecker's hole
And the woodpecker said, "God bless my soul,
Turn it round,
Turn it round,
Turn it round,
Revolve it,

I revolved my finger in the woodpecker's hole
And the woodpecker said, "God bless my soul
Pull it out,
Pull it out,
Pull it out,
Retract it."

I retracted my finger from the woodpecker's hole
And the woodpecker said, " God bless my soul,
Take A Whiff
Take a whiff
Take a whiff
Revolting

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 10:05 AM

Ah, Melanerpes formicivorus. Bev & Jerry must be from the west coast or southwest

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Bev and Jerry
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 01:20 AM

Where we live there is a species of bird which frequents our feeder called an acorn woodpecker. It's black and white except for the top of its head which has a bright red disc on it. It looks like a cardinal (in the Catholic sense, not the bird sense). Local folklore has it that this is the bird that inspired Walter Lantz to creat Woody Woodpecker and the song in question. His call is identical to the "Ha ha ha ha ha" part of the song. Every time we hear it, we're reminded of the cartoon

Bev and Jerry

Subject: Lyr Add: WOODPECKER SONG (Adamson/Bruno/DiLazzaro)
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 14 Sep 00 - 12:18 AM

Some people never forget. On the other hand I tend to remeber things sooner or later - much later in this case. Regards, John

He's up each morning bright and early
To wake up all the neighbourhood
To bring to every boy and girlie
His happy serenade on wood.

Hear him picking out a melody.
Peck, peck, pecking at the same old tree,
He's as happy as a bumblebee, All day long.

To serenade your lady,
Just find a tree that's ahady,
And when you hear that tick-a-tick-tick,
tick-a-tick-tick, tick-a-tick-tick,
sing right along.

Come on and try his rhythm.
And let your hearts beat with him,
Just listen to that tick-a-tick-tick,
tick-a-tick-tick happy little Woodpecker Song

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Susan of Calif
Date: 14 May 97 - 05:34 PM

What else would a bunch of guys in a prison work camp be thinking about but sex? There was a recent Coors's beer commercial that speaks to this phenomenon, it has a bunch af guys working on a chain gang, and the oldest among them starts talking about the Rocky Mountains. There's a provacative young woman washing her car, cooling her "neck" with a bottle of Coor's. But then again, maybe my mind is in the gutter, after all, I are a college student.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From:
Date: 14 May 97 - 03:30 PM

Not to be pedantic, but...

"When correctly viewed, Everything is lewd. I could tell you things about Peter Pan And the Wizard of Oz - there's a dirty old man!"

(If you're STILL not satisfied, the whole brilliant song, and many other Tom Lehrer lyrics, can be found at http://www.anglia.ac.uk/~systimk/Humour/Lehrer/Index.Html)

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: LaMarca
Date: 14 May 97 - 02:18 PM

I dint usta be abel to spel muleclar biologist, but now I are one...Even though us molecular types don't usually study anything closer to sex than DNA, we sometimes can recognize that there's SOME sort of interesting activity being discussed in some of these songs.
I think Bob Landry said Bert's song WAS the one he wanted; in my somewhat twisted frame of reference, even THAT on sounds a bit risque:

"He'll sing to every boy and girlie his little serenade on wood...

Come on and try his rhythm and let your heart beat with him..." Just what is he doing with those kiddies?

As Professor Lehrer once said,
"In the appropriate mood, EVERYTHING'S lewd;
I could tell you stories about Peter Pan,
and the Wizard of Oz, there's a dirty old man!"

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: rich r
Date: 11 May 97 - 11:07 PM

Hey, what's this "or even a molecular biologist" throw away? Are you implying they are way above the proverbial rocket scientist, or way below, or on a par with?

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Rodney Rawlings
Date: 10 May 97 - 09:07 PM

Hey! Aren't you all on the wrong track here? Doesn't Bob Landry want the theme song of the TV cartoon Woody Woodpecker? And everybody thinks he's asking about a folk song? Or is there some obscure humor I'm missing here? Bert's lyrics are not for the song Landry wants, as far as I know - and I once examined the sheet music to it.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: LaMarca
Date: 08 May 97 - 10:13 AM

Barry's song belongs to that extensive folk genre, the single entendre or not-quite-allegorical song; other good examples are Bo Carter's "Let Me Put My Banana in Your Fruit Basket" or the English ditty "The Bonny Black Hare". It doesn't take a rocket scientist (or even a molecular biologist) to catch the drift...

Ian Robb made an interesting point at a workshop recently that emigrants from the British Isles to the Americas brought over versions of some of the bloodiest ballads and similar songs from home, but a lot of the bawdy ones didn't seem to make it here. The really raunchy American songs tend to be from the blues or homegrown mountain traditions, not the venerable Scots/English smut. I guess today's "moral" standard that blood, gore and violence are okay on TV and movies, but sex is not, is another "traditional family value" that dates back to America's beginnings...

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: chenry1
Date: 08 May 97 - 10:05 AM

Yes, I agree, It sounded dirty to me too. I guess I'm just a dirty minded old lady.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Bill
Date: 08 May 97 - 02:57 AM

Howdy Belter,

Your mind must really be in the gutter. I'm sure that everyone at the site will agree that they've never under any circumstances ever possibly heard of a song coming from a prison farm that had anything to do with sex. Certainly the Lomaxes would not dream of collecting such a thing, nobody here would ever sing such a thing, and Dick wouldn't allow such a thing in the DT.

Oops, maybe I'm wrong on all counts. It sounds like it to me.

Allinkausay, Bill

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Tilell
Date: 07 May 97 - 08:53 PM

Well, I know a different one all together. It's a group choral piece. . . the arranger slipps my mind but the song is in SATB arrangement and is in a sort of round The tenors start off with a VERY repetitive "Woodpecker, woodpecker, woodpecker, woodpecker" And then the Bases join in with: "BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG," in a counter-point sort of syncopation thing. Then the Altos and Sopranos get in on the gig with a little verse of: "Banging against a dead bough, a double-dead, double-dead bough, double-dead-bough, double-double-double-double-dead double-dead bough, double-double-double-double-dead double-dead dead-bough"

And so forth. . . it's a very bizarre song and not, I think the one your friend is looking for. . . but I thought I'd throw my two cents in anyway.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Bob Landry
Date: 07 May 97 - 01:51 PM

Thanks, guys all versions are great

I knew Woody's tune, I used to watch his cartoons on B&W TV and read his comic books. I've got to memorize Barry's version and add it to my repertoire.

But, Bert's version was the one I'm looking for. Are there any other verses for any of these?

Bob

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Bert Hansell
Date: 07 May 97 - 12:37 PM

Or this one...

He'll call you very bright and early
wake up all the neighborhood.....
He'll sing to every boy and girlie
his little serenade on wood

You can hear him picking out a melody
peck, peck, pecking at the same old tree
He's just as happy as a bumble bee
all day long

Come on and try his rhythm
and let your heart beat with him
and you will hear that
dig a dig dig, dig a dig dig
happly little woodpecker song


There may be some more verses but that's all that I know
Bert.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: belter
Date: 07 May 97 - 12:36 PM

Some one tell me if I'm imagining things, or is that song about sex. If it's not then I need to get my mind out of the gutter.

Subject: Lyr Add: EARLY IN THE MORNIN' (from Lomax)
From: Barry Finn
Date: 07 May 97 - 12:29 PM

This woodpecker is a double cutting axe work song,

1. Well it's early in the morn, in the morn
Baby when I rise, Lordy, mama
Well it's early in the morn a- baby when I rise
Well-a it's early in the mor
in the morn, baby when I rise, lordy mama
well it's early in the morn baby when I rise.

2. The peckerwood's a pecking on the, on the schoolhouse door, sugar
Well the peckerwood a-pecking on the, on the schoolhouse door
Well-a well the peckerwood a-pecking on the schoolhouse door, sugar,
Well he pecks so hard lordy baby, until his pecker got sore well-a
Until his pecker got sore Lord, sugar,
Well he peck so hard lordy, baby until his pecker got sore.

etc, etc, etc. other verses run with

4. "Well-a whosoever told it, that he told a dirty lie
Well the eagle on a dollar, quarter
He gonna rise and fly.

5. Well I ain't been to Georga , but I've been told
well-a women in a-Georga baby got a sweet jelly roll.

Lomax got this I think in the 60's on Parchman prison farm.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Bill D
Date: 07 May 97 - 11:07 AM

or the one that starts

"I put my finger in the woodpeckers hole,

And the woodpecker said 'well, damn your soul,

'take it out, take it out, take it out, remove it"

Ya gotta realize, that in this kind of forum, any subject or title may have lots of references! The more specific your request, the better.

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From: Gene Graham
Date: 06 May 97 - 10:47 PM

Ha ha ha hah hah! Ha ha ha hah hah! It's the Woody Woodpecker song.... Got it somewhere - if I can find it....

Subject: RE: The Woodpecker Song
From:
Date: 06 May 97 - 10:28 PM

A few more clues, please. Is it erotic or is it about a bird?

Subject: The Woodpecker Song
From: Bob Landry
Date: 06 May 97 - 06:06 PM

A friend of mine asked for the words to The Woodpecker Song. I don't have them - can anybody oblige?

Many thanks ... Bob