Lyr Req: Settin' the Woods on Fire (Hank Williams)

Subject: Set thw woods on fire - Hank Williams
From: wilco
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 03:51 PM

Anybody got the lyrics and chords for "SETTIN' THE WOODS ON FIRE?" I think Hank Williams Sr. wrote it.

Thanks!!

Subject: Lyr Add: SETTIN' THE WOODS ON FIRE (Hank Williams)
From: MMario
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 03:56 PM

SETTIN' THE WOODS ON FIRE
(Hank Williams)


Comb your hair and paint and powder
You act proud and I'll act prouder
You sing loud and I'll sing louder
Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire

You're my gal and I'm your fellow
You will be dressed up of on yellow
I'll look swell but you'll look sweller
Settin' the woods on fire

We'll take in all the honky-tonks
Tonight we're havin' fun
We'll show the folks a brand new dance
That never has been done

I don't care who thinks we're silly
You be daffy and I'll be dilly
We'll order up two bowls of chili
Settin' the woods on fire

I'll gas up my hot-rod stoker
We'll get hotter than a poker
You'll be broke, but I'll be broker
Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire

We'll sit close to one another
Up one street and down the other
We'll have a time, old brother,
Settin' the woods on fire

We'll put aside a little time
To fix a flat or two
My tires and tubes are doin' fine
But the air is showin' thru'

You clap hands and I'll start howlin'
We will all the law's allowin'
Tomorrow, I'll be right back ploughin'
Settin' the woods on fire

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Terry K
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 04:26 PM

...and the chords?

There are two versions on www.roughstock.com/cowpie/songs/ otherwise known as COWPIE, where you will find a veritable treasure trove of country chords and lyrics. It may be on OLGA too.

If this means nothing to you, send me a PM and I will help you to get there.

Cheers, Terry

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 04:28 PM

Chords and lyrics can be found at www.roughstock.com/cowpie/songs as well as just about anything else by Hank or any other country standard. Or if you use a search engine and try something like "chords Hank Williams," you'll find there are other sites as well.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Sorcha
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 04:30 PM

Chords at Cowpie

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 04:39 PM

One of my favorites by Hank.....a lot lighter and humorous. I just love:

You're my gal and I'm your feller
You will be dressed up of on yeller
I'll look swell but you'll look sweller
Settin' the woods on fire

AND

I'll gas up my hot-rod stroker
We'll get hotter than a poker
You'll be broke, but I'll be broker
Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire

BTW.....I think the word in the verse above is how I have it...stroker, not stoker. A "stroker" in rod terminology is an engine with it's crank stroke and bore altered for better performance.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: MMario
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 04:41 PM

I just copies and pastes 'em *grin*

Subject: Lyr Add: SETTIN' THE WOODS ON FIRE (Nelson/Rose)
From: Gary T
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 04:46 PM

Interesting. First I noticed a few differences between the lyrics posted above and what Hank sings on the recording. Those are:

You're my gal and I'm your feller
Dress up in your frock of yeller

You'll be daffy and I'll be dilly

We'll set close to one another

We'll have a time, oh brother

You clap hands and I'll start bowin'
We'll do all the law's allowin'

I always figured Hank wrote it, but on the album (24 of Hank William's Greatest Hits) it lists Fred Rose and Ed G. Nelson. However, it's possible Hank might have countrified it a bit--or that Johhny Burnette "teenagerized" it. I found this:

JOHNNY BURNETTE

Settin' The Woods On Fire
(E. Nelson/F. Rose)

Well, comb your hair & paintin' powder
You'll act proud & I'll act prouder
You'll sing loud & I'll sing louder
Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire

You're my girl & I'm your fella
Dress up in your proper yello'
I'll look swell but you'll look sweller
We're settin' the woods on fire

We'll be takin' all the high school hops
Tonight we're havin' fun
We're gonna show the gang a brand new dance
That never has been done

I don't care if they thinks we're silly
You be daffy, I'll be dilly
Want you to be my sweet sweet filly
We're settin' the woods on fire

I'll gas up my hot rod Stoker
The band will play hot as a polka
You'll be broke, I'll be broker
Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire

We'll sit close to one another
Up one street & down the other
We will have the time of brother
Settin' the woods on fire

We'll put aside a little time
To fix a flat or 2
My tires & tubes are doin' fine
But the air is showin' through

You clap hands & I'll start bowin'
We'll do all the law's allowin'
I hope your daddy don't start growlin'
Settin' the woods on fire
Settin' the woods on fire
Tonight we're settin' the woods on fire

Like I said, interesting.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Gary T
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 05:00 PM

Like Spaw, I always thought that word should be "stroker." I have no idea what a "hot rod stoker" is. I would venture that neither does Hank (nor possibly the songwriters).

One detail on the chord sequence found in Sorcha's Cowpie link--in the second line of the bridge (on the words "fun" and "two"), come back to a C chord; then go on to the D7 (or D) chord to begin the third line.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Giac
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 06:11 PM

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

stoker

NOUN: 1. One who is employed to feed fuel to and tend a furnace, as on a steam locomotive or a steamship. 2. A mechanical device for feeding coal to a furnace.

ETYMOLOGY: Dutch, from stoken, to stoke, from Middle Dutch stken, to poke.

**BG**

Or, maybe they did know what stoker meant...

~;o)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Gary T
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 06:21 PM

I've heard stoker used to indicate the 2nd person riding on a motorcyle. Always figured it was a poetic extension of a railroad stoker, who typically was the 2nd person in a locomotive engine, after the engineer.

Chances are, somewhere along the line someone misheard "stoker" for "stroker"--likely someone who was not particularly knowledgeable about hot rod and motorcycle slang.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: catspaw49
Date: 15 Nov 01 - 06:24 PM

I dunno' Gary, maybe they were cruisin' in a Stanley Steamer............

I think you're right. Somewhere along someone misheard stroker and it could have been from the gitgo in an effort to throw in some h-r lingo.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: wilco
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 11:37 AM

Thanks to everyone!! I'll follow-up on all suggestions for other lyrics. A "stroker" refers to a "four stroker" or "two stroker," which refers to the cycles for rotations per combustion cycle in a gasoline engine. The expression is kind of dated now. It also can refer to a "six stroker" or "flat head eight stroker" which refers to the number of cylinders per engine. Sometimes you'll hear a "four banger" or "six banger" or "eight banger" which refers to the number of cylinders.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 11:48 AM

Not really wilco...........Although you use the term 2 stroke and 4 stroke denoting two differing combustion styles, "stroker" never had anything to do with the number of cylinders. In rod terminology, a stroker is an engine that has had the connecting rod length modified to shorten the stroke which allows for a larger combustion chamber but more importantly brings the engine into a square or over square configuration, the result being the ability to turn higher revs.

Stroking an engine isn't as popular as it once was because most engines today are square or oversquare to begin with. Back in the late 40's and 50's, most popular engines had a very long stroke (undersquare) and if you were really serious about increasing power, you had it stroked.

Stoker still doesn't fit though anywhere.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Gary T
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 01:46 PM

Okay, as long as we're getting technical--changing the rod length does not affect the stroke. That's determined by the crankshaft configuration. Replacing or modifying the crankshaft in order to change the stroke then requires that the rod length be altered accordingly. If the stroke is shortened, the rod needs to be lengthened in order to preserve the compression ratio. Boring out the cylinders (and using larger pistons to fit), as Spaw mentioned previously, is a logical companion procedure to achieve the desired oversquare situation, where the cylinder bore measurement exceeds the stroke measurement.

I agree with Spaw, one routinely hears about 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke engines, but I've never heard "2-stroker" or "4-stroker." wilco48 is correct in noting that "eight banger" means "eight cylinder," etc.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 02:10 PM

LOL Gary......Yeah Gary, I know, but as I was writing that I thought rod length would be simpler to understand because most folks wouldn't know a crankshaft even it was supporting their mailbox. Now, as I sit here thinking about that, I realize a con rod has about as much meaning as crank does and when I went back and reread the whole thing, "square" probably makes no sense to anyone either, especially since most folks know that "cylinders" are round.

Anyway, I apologize for not being more complete, and I apologize for both of us to all those who are wondering what the hell it matters anyway.

Stoke on the other hand, still don't make sense!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Fortunato
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 02:26 PM

The stoker is the second rider on a bicycle built for two.

But I think them ol' boys was just a-rhymin'.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: catspaw49
Date: 16 Nov 01 - 04:14 PM

Hence Gary's explanation of the pillion passenger on a motorcycle.

But I tell ya' Fort, it's awful hard to be "settin' the woods on fire" and gettin' drunk and all on a bicycle built for two!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 01:03 AM

Don't you reckon it's just about time to get a life fellers?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 01:40 AM

You guys really think that song has something to do with cars?

"Stoker" or "stroker" in that song both conjure up an image that has absolutely nothing whatsover to do with the internal combustion engine. They're interchangeable as double entendres. I thought when you started discussing the "rod length" and "compression ratio" you were getting pretty close to the composer's drift. But then someone brought in bicycles. . .

Sigh

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 10:12 AM

hear Hank Williamssing this at The Record Lady's revived site

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 10:25 AM

the page the song is on is right here...first one in the list ....listen to a few others while you are there...*don't get lost, now..*grin*)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 03:56 PM

Okay, you guys--

Now somebody post the damned ABC, will you?????? (Bless the Record Lady for all her great songs, but my music program can't use RA files, only midis...and this one's not in my Hank Complete songbook, and I'm no good at notation by ear!!!!)

P.S. 'Spaw and Gary T.: Here's a person who knows a whole bunch of that "hot rod" lingo--having grown up around mechanic brothers--so keep on discussin' whatever you've a mind to, and GUEST? Bite me.

Lin (been a long and grumpy week)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 06:35 PM

the "damned ABC" *grin* ..has to exist first! I can play 'em, but can't make 'em without having the midi....and no one seems to have made a midi. The rule seems to be .."get the sheet music, enter it into something like Noteworthy, export it as a midi, then translate it to ABC..or, with a keyboard and a deft touch, make a midi directly...

wish I had time to learn all the ins & outs of all this!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 09:49 PM

Yep, I know...I was hoping somebody could transcribe it by ear.

I can make a midi from ABC, make sheet music from a midi, make a midi from sheet music, make ABC from a midi, and convert back and forth to and from Miditext, but as far as I know there's no software as yet to convert a Real Audio file or a .wav file to a midi, which means I can't actually USE RAs or .wavs for anything. I'm waiting for some bright software engineer to come up with a way to convert the various sound file types into whatever one NEEDS for one's purpose. (Hey, I can dream...) Compatibility? Shades of old IBM, or worse yet, Wang!

Sigh. Oh, well.

Thanks for the blicky to the RecordLady, Bill D. She does have a terrific batch of old country stuff (my era!) and I'm glad she's back up and running.

Lin

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Nov 01 - 10:18 PM

there WAS a program written to convert RAs to MP3s and such....guess what?..Real sued their pants off!(or threatened to) I suspect it is still traded in the underground..I think there are a couple guys at RA who do nothing but scour the WWW for programs they don't like!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Armen Tanzerian
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 06:15 PM

It's stoker.

It sounds better than stroker.

And the lyricist, whoever it was, couldn't have cared less about 2-strokes, 4-strokes, or risqué double-entendres, for that matter. He was just trying to get the meter and feel right, the way Chuck Berry used to do: "Ridin' along in my calaboose." "We parked way out on the Kokomo." Nobody had ever used those words for "car" or "moonlit beach", but we knew exactly what they meant.

BTW, I would guess that Hank did not write the tune. Many of the commercial, novelty (cutesy) tunes were written for him.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: Gary T
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 06:39 PM

No need to guess, Armen. The songwriters were identified in a previous post.

Now, you may be right about "stoker."

And it may be that the lyricist had heard of a hot rod referred to as a "stroker," but misheard the word or was victim of a typo. "Stoker" is a whole lot closer to "stroker" than "calaboose" is to "car," so I find this explanation much more plausible in this case.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Set thw woods on fire - Hank William
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Nov 01 - 06:50 PM

Ditto Gary.

Spaw

Subject: Lyr Add: SETTIN' THE WOODS ON FIRE (Homer & Jethro
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 05 Oct 11 - 11:34 AM

Here's Homer & Jethro's parody:

SETTIN' THE WOODS ON FIRE
As sung by Homer & Jethro on "The Very Best Of" (2010)

You get a dime an' I'll get a dollar.
I'll put on my high stiff collar.
We'll go down to Hootin' Holler.
Tonight we're a-settin' the woods on fire.
I'm a-gonna wear my new straw hat an'
You can wear your dress of satin,
'Cause we're gonna go tom-cattin',
Settin' the woods on fire.
I'll try to kiss the waitress while we're waitin' for our chow.
Look out for flyin' saucers cause she's a-gonna throw one now.
I'll be John an' you be Mary.
Mary, don't be so contrary.
I feel so unnecessary,
A-settin' the woods on fire.

What's that perfume that you wear?
Ain't no wonder people stare.
Smells just like the old gray mare.
Tonight we're a-settin' the woods on fire.
If you get to feelin' flustered,
We'll go eat some frozen custard.
You're too old to cut the mustard,
Settin' the woods on fire.
We'll play a game called pony express while we paint the town.
It's just like post office with a little more horsin' aroun'.
We can't sing and we ain't funny.
Buy this record, won't you, honey?
Poor ol' Victor needs the money,
Settin' the woods on fire.