Folk Songs of the Woods

Subject: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: GUEST,Biancalif
Date: 22 Aug 23 - 12:28 PM

Hi all

Suggestions for woodland/ tree themed folk songs please? Bonny Portmore is one of course, and Oak and Ash and Thorn. I suppose The Trees They Do Grow High might count, but after that I’m stuck. What have I missed?

Thanks for any help you can give

B

Subject: RE: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: Lighter
Date: 22 Aug 23 - 12:40 PM

"Down in Yon Forest"?

Subject: RE: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: gillymor
Date: 22 Aug 23 - 01:12 PM

The Ash Grove. Lovely melody.

Ian Tyson's Summer Wages which is narrated by a logger, or someone who works in the industry.

There's Gordon Lightfoot's Home from the Forest but the forest is used as a metaphor.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: GUEST,RJM
Date: 22 Aug 23 - 01:32 PM

WHAT IS THE LIFE OF A MAN.
O THE GOOD WOOD FRED ROOKE?
BABES IN THE WOOD

Subject: RE: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: Robert B. Waltz
Date: 22 Aug 23 - 03:40 PM

There are quite a few book of actual logging songs, e.g.,

Earl Clifton Beck, Songs of the Michigan Lumberjacks
E. C. (Earl Clifton) Beck, Lore of the Lumber Camps
William Main Doerflinger, Songs of the Sailor and Lumberman
Edith Fowke, Lumbering Songs from the Northern Woods
Roland Palmer Gray, Songs and Ballads of the Maine Lumberjacks
Franz Rickaby (edited by Gretchen Dykstra and James P. Leary), Pinery Boys: Songs and Songcatching in the Lumberjack Era

The Traditional Ballad Index currently has 204 songs with the keyword "logger." The most popular are, in descending order:
The Jam on Gerry's Rock [Laws C1]
Peter Amberley [Laws C27]
The Logger's Alphabet
Canaday-I-O, Michigan-I-O, Colley's Run I-O [Laws C17]
The Shantyman's Life

"The Jam on Gerry's Rock" is by far the most popular -- I have 67 citations, to 35 for "Peter Amberley." Steve Roud has 220 for "The Jam," 114 for "Peter Amberley."

I highly recommend the tune sung by A. C. Hannah and collected by Franz Rickaby. One of the best tunes I know, for anything. A recording is here: https://mnheritagesongbook.net/the-songs/texts-and-additional-notes-on-printed-songs/the-jam-on-gerrys-rocks/

Obviously if you want happy stuff, the Sailor's Alphabet would suit better. :-)

If there is a particular forest-y topic you are interested in, of course, we can try for something more specifix.

Subject: RE: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: Susan of DT
Date: 22 Aug 23 - 04:19 PM

The keyword tree gets you 20 hits in the Digital Tradition

Subject: RE: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: Halfmoon Charlie
Date: 22 Aug 23 - 04:47 PM

Not exactly "folk" but...
The Girl In The Wood - Frankie Laine

Subject: RE: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: GerryM
Date: 22 Aug 23 - 06:14 PM

Of Trees and Humankind, https://youtu.be/B91ZulUEthI

In the Pines, https://youtu.be/2MkfTYPmLlA

Subject: RE: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: GUEST,Julia L
Date: 26 Aug 23 - 11:30 PM

Woodsman spare that tree

Subject: RE: Folk Songs of the Woods
From: GUEST,Julia L
Date: 26 Aug 23 - 11:30 PM

Woodsman spare that tree