A friend has asked me to see if I can find any information (who wrote it? When? Anything else?) on this song:

A fire that’s made of green wood, of green wood
A fire that’s made of green wood is naught but smoke and smell
So light your fire of old wood, of old wood
Build your fire of old wood and it will warm you well

A ship that’s made of new wood, of new wood
A ship that’s made of new wood will let the salt sea through
So see your planks are well-seasoned, well-seasoned
Build with wood well-seasoned or you will surely rue

A house that’s built of green wood, of green wood
A roof that’s built of green wood will only warp and fall
So let your beams be of old wood, of old wood
See you build of old wood or never build at all

Oak and elm and chestnut, sweet chestnut
Oak and elm and chestnut that grow on English ground
The best if you can get them, can get them
Ships’ ribs if you can get them that have sailed the world around

For the old wine is the best wine, the best wine
The oldest wine’s the best wine, and best the oldest friend
And an old ship’s timbers, its timbers, its timbers
An old ship’s timbers, they will serve you till the end

And a fire that’s made of green wood, of green wood
A fire that’s made of green wood is naught but smoke and smell
So light your fire of old wood, of old wood
Build your fire of old wood and it will warm you well


Can you help? Thanks!
--Nancy