Identifying a woodsman song

September 17, 2013 1:00 PM

I'm trying to identify a song about a woodsman that is used in the US Forest Service documentary "An Axe to Grind." Here is a link to part of the song. I've tried googling bits of the lyrics to no avail. Anyone recognize it?
posted by Deflagro to Media & Arts (7 answers total)

Here are the lyrics, from a transcript which was the only thing I found while googling...

♪ HE'S UP IN THE MORNING AT THE BREAK OF DAY ♪
♪ WITH HIS AX AND A FILE AND A LUNCH PACKED AWAY ♪
♪ THEN HE'S OFF TO THE WOODS WHERE HE'LL EARN HIS PAY ♪
♪ IT'S ALL IN THE LIFE OF THE WOODSMAN ♪
♪ HE SWINGS HIS AX WITH TRUTH AND GRACE ♪
♪ THERE'S STRENGTH IN HIS ARMS AND FROWN ON HIS FACE ♪
♪ CARRY IT WITH HIM TILL THE DAY HE DIES ♪
♪ THERE'S A LESSON TO BE LEARNED FROM THE WOODSMAN ♪
♪ HE GRIPS THE HANDLE SHAPED BY HIS HANDS ♪
♪ UP TO THE NEXT TREE FIRMLY STANDS ♪
♪ THE CHIPS FLY FAST, EACH SWING IS TRUE ♪
♪ THERE'S MUSIC IN THE MOVEMENT OF THE WOODSMAN ♪♪
posted by jessamyn at 1:11 PM on September 17, 2013

Recently read a fantastic Believer Magazine article (excerpted here) about Buzz Martin, "The Singing Logger", who wrote a ton of logging songs. It might be one of his.
posted by oulipian at 1:52 PM on September 17, 2013

According to the credits the musicians singing it were Ken Britton and Steve Slaughter, and they are probably from somewhere around Missoula, Montana where the video was produced.
posted by onlyconnect at 1:58 PM on September 17, 2013

It's almost certainly an original composition by one of these singer-songwriters, not a traditional song.
posted by Miko at 8:22 PM on September 17, 2013

As of July 2013, there was a 59 year old Steve Slaughter living in Missoula running marathons; are you interested in finding him and contacting him?
posted by onlyconnect at 8:57 PM on September 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Wow, that's some pretty good sleuthing to track him down. I was just interested in learning/getting a copy of the song. Probably not worth it to try and contact him out of the blue, but that's impressive finding him!

onlyconnect, it doesn't look like it's one of his, but thanks for the songs!
posted by Deflagro at 2:57 PM on September 18, 2013

I'd urge you to contact him if you want a copy of the song. If it's really him, he certainly has a copy, and as a songwriter myself, I can't think of anything that would make me feel happier than someone finding an old song of mine and wanting to know it that much. Nothing to lose, and he'd probably love to help!
posted by Miko at 10:39 PM on September 18, 2013