Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)

02 Apr 97 - 10:42 PM (#3765)
Subject: Ice Covered Birches
From: [e-mail]

I heard this song when I was a kid. I've since lost the album which I think was of a Bluegrass Band called "Cliff Walden and The New Shades of Grass". This ballad is about a guy going off to war on a cold winter morning. I sure would like to find the lyrics, I know the tune by heart. If you know the lyrics or where I might find them please respond.

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27 Jun 00 - 11:33 AM (#247758)
Subject: Ice Covered Birches
From: GUEST,[e-mail]

Looking for lyrics for Ice Covered Birches if anyone has them would appreciate. Also lyrics for a song that has "an angel with snow white wings" in it. Thanks

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27 Jun 00 - 12:23 PM (#247790)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches
From: McGrath of Harlow

Ice covered birches - sounds painful...

It's not Sweet Baby James is it? With frost-covered Berkshires misheard as ice-covered birches?

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27 Jun 00 - 03:56 PM (#247985)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches
From: kendall

No there is such a song, recorded by friends of mine..White Mountain Bluegrass. If you cant find the lyrics I'll play the record and post them for you.

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27 Jun 00 - 04:03 PM (#247992)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches
From: Dale Rose

Also recorded by Cliff Waldron and available on The Best of Cliff Waldron, Rebel 1124, 1998. I'd say it was recorded late 60s, early 70s. I have it on LP ~~ SOMEWHERE.

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06 Dec 02 - 11:44 PM (#842822)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches
From: Jim Dixon

"Ice Covered Birches" written by Carl E. Hoffman, recorded by Cliff Waldron on "The Best of Cliff Waldron", Rebel CD 1124, 1999.

There is a sound sample at Barnes&Noble, from which I transcribed this:

...her hand,
And she knows that I'm leavin' but she sheds (?) not her grievin'
Her heartbeats believin' I'll return if I can.
Ice covered birches on a cold winter morn
From the hillsides they shimmer and glimmer and shine,
But the branches are broken and their heads are bowed low,
Like the...

Also recorded by Alternate Roots on "Tales Of Love and Sorrow"
And by Art Stevenson and Highwater "Dusty Boxcar Wall"

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09 Sep 09 - 09:07 AM (#2719716)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches
From: GUEST,gloria post

Friends: If there anyone out there that knows this song Ice Covered Birches would be much appreciate if you would contact me with the words rhank you every so much. my e-mail [e-mail]

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10 Sep 09 - 06:48 PM (#2721085)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches
From: Jim Dixon

Well, I can now extend my quote for a couple more lines:

...her hand,
And she knows that I'm leavin' but she sheds (?) not her grievin'
Her heartbeats believin' I'll return if I can.

Ice covered birches on a cold winter morn
From the hillside they shimmer and glimmer and shine,
But the branches are broken and their heads are bowed low,
Like the sad tender heart of that darlin' of mine,
Like the heart of that darlin' of mine.

In a far northern...

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13 Sep 09 - 05:49 PM (#2722961)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches
From: GUEST,Starrchild26

Heard this song as a youngster performed by C.W. Brock Family blugrass band at Connie's Resturaunt in MA. Seek Jesse Brock on My Space as he sang it beautifully. As I recall it went like this

In a far northern cabin
While the dawn was just breakin'
From sleep I was shaken by the touch of her hand
And she knows that I'm leavin'
Though she's not a ' grievin'
And her heart beats believing I'll return if I can

Chorus
Ice covered birches, on a cold winter's morn
From the hillside they shimmer and glimmer and shine
But the branches are broken, and their heads are bowed low
Like the sad tender heart of that darlin of mine
Like the heart of that darlin' of mine

(second vers is quite sketchy - again I would confer with Jesse Brock on this)
While no plan lies in this and some men feared from counting
Every musket and mountain, the wilderness they came
But a (hmm hmmm hmmm hmm hmm) by theory unspoken
In strength I a 'token, and the girl waits in vain (????)
Chorus.
Good luck!! I love this song too. I wonder who wrote it?

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28 Jan 10 - 07:16 PM (#2824029)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches
From: GUEST

Carl Hoffman wrote it.

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22 Feb 10 - 11:57 AM (#2846722)
Subject: Lyr Add: ICE-COVERED BIRCHES (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: GUEST,CARL E. HOFFMAN

THREAD:
I am the author of the song, ICE-COVERED BIRCHES. I wrote the song back in 1971, several years before full-blown construction started on the TRANS-ALASKAN OIL PIPELINE. The song is about a construction worker, who was leaving his cabin (home) near Fairbanks, Alaska, to travel north to perform (preliminary) work on the PIPELINE'S routing "alignment," through the rugged Brooks (Mountain) Range. This early work was extremely dangerous; many did not return from this isolated wilderness. The worker's morning departure from his Fairbanks cabin, followed a snow & ice storm, which had coated the birch trees, "bowing" them almost to the ground. The ice-covered, "bowed" birch trees, became a metaphor for the saddened heart of the girl, upon the departure of her "darlin'", leaving for this dangerous wilderness work. This is the context of the song's inception. The song was subsequently first recorded by myself and my band "THE PINE HILL RAMBLERS", on a REVONAH RECORDS album (#501), in 1971, called "FURTHER UP THE RIVER". Cliff Waldron & THE NEW SHADES OF GRASS, heard us perform the song, and subsequently recorded it for REBEL RECORDS.

The song's lyrics are fairly simple, but it seems there has been some confusion when transposing them. To end this confusion, please allow me to type them out exactly as they were written. They are as follows:


(Chorus:)
Ice-covered birches on a cold winter's morn,
From the hillside they shimmer, and glimmer, and shine;
But their branches are broken, and their heads are bowed low...
Like the sad, tender heart of that darlin' of mine,
Like the heart of that darlin' of mine.

(Verse 1.)
In a far northern cabin, while dawn was just breakin',
From my sleep, I was shaken, by the touch of her hand;
And she knows that I'm leavin', but she shed's not her grievin',
Her heart beats, believin', I'll return if I can. (Chorus)

(Verse 2)
Now the northland lies endless, but there's men fit for countin'
Every muskeg* and mountain, as its wildness they tame;
But a man can fall broken, by a fury unspoken,
Human strength, just a token, and a girl waits in vain...
(Repeat chorus)


*MUSKEG: (Definition:) A "bog" or low-lying area covered with mosses, stunted black spruce and tamarack trees, common to specific areas in Alaska and Yukon Territory.

I appreciate your interest in the song. If there are any further questions, if there is interest in any of my other original Alaskan-theme material, please E-MAIL me at the following address:

<[e-mail]> Thanks. CARL E. HOFFMAN

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22 Feb 10 - 12:35 PM (#2846762)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: Ebbie

Hey, Buddy, is that YOU?

Ebbie/Elva

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22 Feb 10 - 01:14 PM (#2846794)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: GUEST,Carl (Buddy) Hoffman

Hello EBBIE/ELVA:

Yes, it's me. (My knickname was "BUDDY" during those years.) Ebbie/Elva,(pardon me), do I know you? Or did I know you years ago?
Please advise. Thanks.
               Carl "Buddy" Hoffman

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23 Feb 10 - 04:01 PM (#2847980)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: GUEST,CARL E. HOFFMAN

23 Feb 2010

Hi Ebbie/Elva,

Of course, I remember you! We didn't make Juneau last year, due to illness in Alice's family (her Dad was ill); unfortunately, we won't make it this year, also; our youngest boy, Benjamin, is getting married at the end of May, and we have to save our pennies for the trip to Reno, Nv. Hope all is well with you...and all our Juneau friends!
Sincerely,   Carl H.
P.S. All of us are planning to visit Juneau next year! We're grandparents now. Oldest boy (Luke) and his wife (Lacey) have a new baby girl. ("Carlie", named after my Dad.)

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23 Feb 10 - 04:08 PM (#2847987)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: GUEST,leeneia

Thanks very much for posting, Carl. It's a fine, fine song and it's interesting to know the history behind it.

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23 Feb 10 - 08:34 PM (#2848275)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: Ebbie

Carl, I've heard you sing 'Further Up the River' several times but I didn't know you wrote other songs. (Not surprised though!) What about more songs? How about listing them here?

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24 Feb 10 - 12:10 PM (#2848828)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: GUEST,CARL E. HOFFMAN

Response: 24 Feb 2010
Hello Ebbie/ELVA,
Thanks for asking. Other "original" songs are:
THE BROOK; LAVEDA; TIMBER WOLF INN; ESKIMO HUNT (Instrumental); (The saga of) RED & RUSTY; TANANA; REBECCA; BENEATH ALASKAN SNOW; THE NORTHERN SOIL; RUSTY'S SONG; NORTH DAKOTA BLUES; THE OLD HIGHWAY.
The first (4) were on the "FURTHER UP THE RIVER" Album, the next (6) were on a (now out of print) Album called: "RED AND RUSTY"; the last (2) were recorded on a "No Time Flatt" Album called: "THE OLD HIGHWAY". I'll try to get you copies of them if you're really interested. Thanks, Carl H.

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24 Feb 10 - 07:28 PM (#2849328)
Subject: Response to GUEST.leeneia 24 Feb 2010
From: GUEST,CARL E. HOFFMAN

Leeneia,
Thanks for your kind compliment on my song, Ice-Covered Birches. I really appreciate your interest in it.
Sincerely,    Carl E. Hoffman

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25 Feb 10 - 01:31 PM (#2850007)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: Ebbie

The only CD of yours that I have, Carl, is the live one you cut with Joe Page, et al. Does Gerard sing any of your songs? He doesn't get down here that often anymore but I can check with him via email.

Thanks, Carl.

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25 Feb 10 - 08:06 PM (#2850367)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: open mike

I keep reading the title of this thread as "ice covered bridges"
after all it is winter time. I am glad that we got the information
straight from the "horse's mouth" (no offense, Carl...just using an
old expression) Mudcat is a wonderful place!

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25 Feb 10 - 08:22 PM (#2850376)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: Ebbie

Open mike, Carl has an interesting history on the US east coast dating back many years booking and meeting and playing with top dogs of the business. He has some great stories. Å very talented man.

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02 Jan 11 - 02:32 PM (#3065676)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: GUEST

From Sleepy Eyed John



Carl Hoffman slipped and hit his head on the ice on Nov. 29, suffering a major head injury. He has been hospitalized in Anchorage since then.

http://www.thebluegrassblog.com/carl-hoffman-fundraiser-this-weekend/

If you like to help Carl's medical expenses, send check to:
Mt. Mckinley Mutual Savings
500 Fourth Ave
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Carl Hoffman Donation Fund
account # 11235921

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11 Jan 11 - 11:55 PM (#3072655)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: Ebbie

John, we're working on a fundraiser for Carl and his family here in Juneau too.

Carl is a great favorite here. A lovely man.

Have you seen this thread? (I have never linked to a Mudcat thread before so I'm not sure I'll do it right but here is the address:

thread.cfm?threadid=134105&messages=19


Nope, it didn't work. But you can cut and paste the address. Or put Hoffman in the filter and set it back a couple of months.

By George! It did work!

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13 Dec 19 - 01:28 PM (#4023576)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Ice Covered Birches (Carl E. Hoffman)
From: GUEST,open mike

UPDATE ON CARL "BUDDY " HOFFMAN....i READ THE REPORTS ABOUT A BAD FALL, HEAD INJURY AND RE-HAB AND WAS WORRIED/CURIOUS ABOUT HIM. I GOT THIS REPLY FROM THE ALASKA FOLK FESTIVAL:                        
   Carl is doing well. He performed last summer (2019)at Granite Creek in Sutton, AK.
Cheers,

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