Born in the Deep Woods, by Red Yarn (2024)

1.

Late one night at the garden gateI saw a little rabbit come to pull his freightHis hair was golden and his tail was whiteHis big black eyes were shining brightI said, “Slow down, man, please slow downKeep your fast feet on the groundThere’s a world of wonder for you to seeSo please slow down and watch with me”He said, “If you’d been where I have beenIf you’d seen what I have seenYou’d know the world is swift and meanWhen you got nowhere to goSo you’d keep on running this rugged raceYou’d keep that sly smile on your faceYou tell me to slow down my paceBut this is all I know:“I was born in the old Deep WoodsAnd I been hurrying ever since I couldIf I was worrying it wouldn’t do no good” And I understoodOne bright morning I took a strollStraight down to that crawdad holeI saw a turtle on a grassy knollAll pulled up in his shellI said, “Come out, turtle, the day is newThe sun is shining, the sky is blueHurry up, man, you gotta doAll that you do well”He said, “Slow down, man, please slow downKeep your body on the groundIf you’d been down where I’ve been downWhere you never been so lowYou’d know that slow and steady wins the raceYou’d build a shell to hide your faceYou tell me to pick up my paceBut this is all I know:“I was born in the old Deep WoodsAnd I been worrying ever since I couldIf I was hurrying it wouldn’t do no good”And I understoodI sing a story that you might knowOf a rabbit fast and a turtle slowWhichever way you’re made to goOur stories are the sameSome are old, some are youngSome are told, some are sungSome are stolen from their native tongueOr trapped up on a shelf Some we’re given, some we earnSome we wait till it’s our turnSome we’re born with, some we learnSome we write ourselvesBut we’re all born in the old Deep WoodsAnd we’ve been singing ever since we couldOur voices ringing, yeah, they ring for goodYeah, it’s understood

2.

Old Mother Goose, she busted looseShe flew the coop, man, she slipped the nooseNow Old Mother Goose, she cutting looseSay hello to the new Old Mother Goose, Goose, GooseThat Old Mother Goose is goneShe been locked up for far too longStuck in the nursery, cooped up in the barnTrapped with the babies on Old MacDonald’s FarmSo she picked the lock, she jumped the gateShe spreading her wings and she shifting her fateNow Old Mother Goose is moving alongJust strutting her stuff and singing her songIt goes, Old Mother Goose…Goosey, goosey gander, whither shall I wanderUpstairs, downstairs, in my lady’s chamberThere I met an old man who wouldn’t say his prayersSo I bit him in the left leg and I kicked him down the stairsHey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddleThe cow jumped over the moonThe little dog laughed to see such sportAnd the dish ran away with the spoonAll around the mulberry bushThe monkey chased the weaselThe monkey thought it was all in good fun But then, “POP!” goes the weaselMothers and fathers: you do not understand herWhat’s good for this goose ain’t no good for your ganderWhatever the season, her weather is fine, manWhatever the reason, she’s got a rhymeOld Mother Goose…

3.

The Oak once said to the nightingale“I mean to give you birds a ballPray invite the birdies allThe birds and the birdies great and small”Tra-la-la-la…Soon they came from bush and treeSinging sweet their songs of gleeEach one fresh from its cozy nestEach one dressed in its Sunday bestTra-la-la-la…The wren and the cuckoo danced for lifeThe raven waltzed with the redbird’s wifeThe awkward owl and the bashful jayWished each other a happy dayTra-la-la-la…co*ck robin rocked around the clockThe Tall Oak laughed and the songbirds flockedThey made such a racket that everyone heardThat the bird bird birdie, the bird is the wordTra-la-la-la…The brown canary and the jangle byrds sangAll through the forest the music rangThe laurel canyon was cool and breezySo the lonesome eagle just took it easyTra-la-la-la…They danced all day till the sun was lowThen the mama birds prepared to goSo one and all, both great and smallFlew to their nests from the birdie’s ballTra-la-la-la…

4.

Frog went a-courting and he did rideRock strop by Mr. GambleHad a sword and a pistol buckled to his sideRock strop by Mr. GambleHeemo hi-mo, keemo ky-mo, rolly, rolly, rayRock strop penny winkle flanna doodle yella boogerRock strop by Mr. Gamble He rode right up to Miss Mousie's houseSaid, "Please, will you marry me, Miss Mouse?"Heemo hi-mo... She said, "Now, I can't tell you thatUntil I ask my Uncle Rat"Uncle Rat gave his consentThe weasel wrote the publishmentRock strop penny winkle...Where will their supper be?Way down yonder in a hollow treeAnd what will the supper be?Butter cups and dew drop teaRock strop penny winkle...The first to come was a big white mothSpread her wings for a tableclothNext to come was a big black gnatHe sat down on Uncle RatNext to come was a brokeback fleaDanced a jig with the bumblebeeRock strop penny winkle... Next to come was an old tomcatHe swallowed the mouse and ate up the ratFrog come swimming across the lakeHe got swallowed by a big black snakeRock strop penny winkle...

5.

Rabbit in a log and I ain't got my dogHow will I get him? I don’t knowI'll find me a briar and twist it in his hairThat’s how I'll get him, I knowI know (I know!), I know (I know!)That's how I'll get him, I knowI'll find me a briar and twist it in his hairThat’s how I'll get him, I knowI'll build me a fire and cook that old hareRoll him in the flames good and brownHave a feast here tonight while the moon’s shining brightFind me a place to lie downTo lie down (lie down!), lie down (lie down!)Find me a place to lie downHave a feast here tonight while the moon’s shining brightAnd find me a place to lie downI'm going down the track with just my coat on my back Soles of my shoes are nearly goneA little ways ahead there's an old farmer's shedThat's where I'll rest my weary bonesWeary bones (weary bones!), lazy bones (lazy bones!)That's where I'll rest my weary bonesA little ways ahead there's an old farmer's shedThat's where I'll rest my weary bonesRabbit in a log and I ain’t got my dog…

6.

Little baby was born todayThe leaves all danced and the branches swayedThey heard the cry from miles awayAnd all went quiet in the woods todayIn a little log cabin a mama smiledAs she gazed at the face of her newborn childAll the generations reconciledIn the gentle little face of a newborn childAnd oh, the heave and pushAnd oh, the birds all hushedAnd oh, the rabbit rushed awayAnd oh, the face so flushThe glowing eyes in the bramble bushThe forest sang a song so lush and gayFor the sweet little baby born in the woods todayThe animals felt the shine todayLike the warming touch of the sun’s red raysThe doe and the sow and the mama jaySpread the word through the woods todayIn a little log cabin a daddy criedAs he gazed in the faces of the babe and brideHe heard the rush of the river and the wind outsideSaid a prayer to the giver of the spirit wildAnd oh, the aching loveBelow the snowy doveThat soared in the sky above the frayAnd oh, the deal we makeThe old and young and the give and takeWe owe a debt when we create a wayFor a sweet little baby born in the woods today

7.

Mama, mama, have you heard?Our sweet little baby is a mockingbirdEvery word that I can speak Mockingbaby can repeatIf I say, “Baby, howdy-do!”He say, “Baby, howdy-do!”If I say, “No, I mean how are you?”He say, “No, I mean how are you?”Mockingbird…When I wake up and say, “Good day”He say, “Good day,” and then he flies awaySo I give chase and I yell, “Stop!”And he yell, “Stop!” and so I stop“Gosh dang you tricked me so-and-so!”“Gosh dang you tricked me so-and-so!” Uh oh! But when I say, “No, I mean wait right here”Of course he pretend he cannot hearMockingbird…Mama, mama, have you heard?Sweet little baby is a mockingbirdAnd when that mockingbird can singHe’s gonna sing like everythingHe’ll spin songs from all around the worldInto the bright white song of the mockingbirdBut he’ll have rhythm and he’ll have soulSweet little baby gonna rock’n’rollWhen I say, “That’s alright, mama”... Mama, mama, have you heard?Sweet little baby is a mockingbirdAnd when that mockingbird grows wingsHe’s gonna learn about everythingHe’ll fly around the great big worldSinging the bright white song of the mockingbirdSo hold him tight until you let him goSweet little baby gonna rock’n’roll

8.

“I,” said the little leatherwing bat“I’ll tell you the reason thatThe reason that I fly by nightIs cuz I’ve lost my heart’s delight” Hidee didee diddle-dum dayHidee didee diddle-dum dayHidee didee diddle-dum dayHi-lee lie-lee lie-lee low “I,” said the blackbird sitting on a chair“Once I courted a lady fairShe proved fickle and turned her backAnd ever since then I’ve dressed in black” Hidee didee diddle-dum day...“I,” said the woodpecker sitting on a fence“Once I courted a handsome wenchShe got scared and from me fledAnd ever since then my head’s been red” Hidee didee diddle-dum day... "Hoot," said the owl with a head so white "A lonesome day and a lonesome nightThought I heard some pretty girl sayCourt all night and sleep all day"Hidee didee diddle-dum day..."No," said the little turtle dove"That's no way to win her loveIf you want to gain your heart's delightCourt all day and court all night" Hidee didee diddle-dum day…“I” said the young man down below“I ain’t a bird but this I knowWhile you’re all busy flying aroundI’ll find my true love on the ground”Hidee didee diddle-dum day…

9.

You get a line, I'll get a pole, honeyYou get a line, I'll get a pole, babeYou get a line, I'll get a pole,We'll go down to the crawdad holeHoney, sugar baby mineGet up, sweetheart, you slept too late, honeyGet up, sweetheart, you slept too late, babeGet up, sweetheart, we slept too lateCrawdad man's done passed our gate Honey, sugar baby mineWhat you gonna do when the lake runs dry, honey?What you gonna do when the lake runs dry, babe? What you gonna do when our lake runs dry? Sit on the bank and watch the crawdads dieHoney, sugar baby mineWhat you gonna do when the crawdads die, honey? What you gonna do when the crawdads die, babe? What you gonna do when our crawdads die?Sit on the bank and cry, cry, cryHoney, sugar baby mineYou get a line, I'll get a pole, honey…

10.

As ants ate an apple on my ancestors’ treeA buckeye rabbit was beckoning meCarrying the carrots and the cabbage he stole Through a ditch that he dug to his deep dark holeEagle soared above earth with a secret for the sun Over fox on the run, that old son-of-a-gunGot my goose and my gander, the goslings are mourningHound dog howled to the whole woods his warning“You better stop running, it’ll do you no goodMy master is coming, he was born in the Deep Woods”In the indigo skyglow I inched my way inJaybird, he jumped from a juniper limbWith the key to the forest he keeled like a kiteAs lightning, it flashed with its luminous lightA mouse and a frog made their marital vows I knew nothing that instant but the infinite nowThe officiant, an owl, stood on Grandmother OakAs the pigeons and possums all parted, he spokeI am no shaman but I understoodWe got one thing in common: we were born in the Deep WoodsQuietly I scribbled with the quill of a quailAs a raccoon and rabbit got rowdy and railed ‘gainstA slithery snake scaring a squirrel off a stumpTurtle carved an asterisk in the Oak Tree trunk Under starlight the universe humbly unfurledAnd the voices sang verses of songs of the worldAs wild as the wind or a wolf in the rainX marked the spot of this exalted exchangeYes, way over yonder in the yellow moonlightI sang with the zest of a zealot that nightI saw alpha and omega, the first to the lastTo the farthest flung future from the predawn of pastFrom the great Big Bang to the End coming soonEvery trip round the sun, every face of the moonAshes to ashes, dust into dustFrom the earth we all come and return there we mustThe dead and the living, the evil and goodWell we’ll all be forgiven and reborn in the Deep Woods

11.

When the wintertime is finally throughAnd the ice has thawed and the sky is blueAnd the green grass just shines with dew, so shiny newAnd the flower buds start climbing throughThe sleeping animals awakenFrom their long night sleepy shakingRoll the stones back from their caves andSee the bright green morning breakingAnd the mothers and the fathers With their sons and with their daughtersAll go down to the waterTo prey on fish with the othersAnd they jump into the blue springSee the sunlight wildly dancingRemember everything and nothingAnd then they’re born again, they’re born againOne time I got so deep blueI couldn’t tell which way to turn toI didn’t know who I could talk toI whistled at a bird, she spoke a wordThen away she flewSo I went out walking Past the city’s tall and dark thingsTo where the trees were gently rockingAnd my mind slowed its fast talkingAnd I jumped into the blue springSaw the sunlight wildly dancingAnd my weary soul began to sing“Remember everything and nothing“Yeah, one bright Sunday morningWithout a word, without warning My spirit started soaringAnd I was born again, I was born againWhen your dreams have all gone flutteringAnd you’re still searching for that somethingWell, just remember one thingWe’re born naked, carrying nothingWhen we reach our destinationAcross the river, across the nationWe find we’re right back where we came fromAnd then we’re born again, born again, born again

12.

Old black dog come down by the riverShook his tail and the world start to shiver“Go away, dog, go away, dog”He can’t have my babyCuz mama loves you, daddy loves youEverybody loves babyMama loves you, daddy loves youEverybody loves babyGreat big bear just woke up in his cave Heard his roar and I try to be brave“Go away bear, go away bear“He can’t have my babyCuz mama loves you...Big boogerman come flying ‘cross the meadowSwallows the world in his deep dark shadow“Go away, man, go away, man“He can’t have my babyCuz mama loves you…

released March 10, 2017

'Born in the Deep Woods' was recorded at Type Foundry Studio & Red Yarn’s basem*nt in Portland, OR from June-October, 2016

Co-produced by Red Yarn & Adam Selzer

Engineered & mixed by Adam Selzer at Type Foundry

Mastered by Adam Gonsalves at Telegraph Mastering

The Red Yarn Band is...
Andy Furgeson/Red Yarn on vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, vibraphone, percussion, mandolin, melodica, xylophone & harmonica

Jessie Eller-Isaacs on vocals

Dustin Dybvig on drums & percussion

Peter Valois on electric bass & backing vocals

Cory Gray on synth, piano, organ

Dean Jones on trombone, pipes, balafon, Moog, cumbus, mellotron & backing vocals

Paul Brainard on lap steel, pedal steel, electric guitar & banjo

Perry Pfister on upright bass

Brian Garvey on backing vocals

With special guests…
Reed Wallsmith - saxophone on “Old Mother Goose”

Tony Furtado - banjo on “Rabbit in a Log” and “Old Black Dog”

Amanda Lawrence - viola on “Little Baby Born Today”

Lewis Pete Eller-Furgeson - vocals on “Mockingbird”

Meghan Coil - violin on “Crawdad” and “Old Black Dog”

Art direction & illustrations by Ryan Bruce

Photography by Aaron Hewitt with photo assistant Caleb Plowman

Booklet design by Heather Lin