Apparently the author of this song didn't know that cottonwood trees are noted for their weak branches. String a man up on one, and it's likely to snap, thereby posing a threat to bystanders.

And that would never do.

Aged cottonwood branches can be resonant, producing a musical "bonk" sound when dropped. I have exploited this and made the world's first and only cottonwood drum by stretching two branches across 1 x 4 pine pieces. You play it by hitting the cottonwood with spoons.