The Woodpecker Song
Caught this bird in the neighborhood
Pecking away on a piece of wood
He pecked and he pecked on my front door
Pecked 'til he made his pecker sore.
- Sore pecker, pecker sore, sore pecker,
Bad luck bird
Now the woodpecker is this little bird's name
When he start's a-peckin' it is a shame
In my neighborhood he's boss
Because his pecker don't get soft.
- Soft pecker, pecker soft, soft pecker,
He's a lovely little bird.
He's the nuttiest bird you ever did see
He'll take a chance on any old tree
The other day he was pecking in an oak
Made a few strokes and his pecker broke.
- Broke pecker, pecker broken, broke pecker,
Bad luck bird.
This bird got in an argument the other day
He got mad and few away
He lit on top of a telephone line
Hollered "Your pecker ain't as long as mine!"
- Long pecker, pecker long, pecker long,
He's a lovely little bird.
Now if I ask you on bended knees
Will you tell me something please
Peck all day in my back yard
What do you use to keep your pecker hard?
- Hard pecker, pecker hard, hard pecker,
He's a lovely little bird
Now listen little birdie you ain't so smart
you're just a little old lark
Something I'm telling you to remember
When you get old your pecker's going to get limber.
- Limber pecker, pecker limber, limber pecker
The woodpecker song!
Notes: This is transcribed from the 78 record titled
"The Song of the Woodpecker" (Blue Records 101) as sung
by Billy Mitchell. One stanza of this song can be found in
the rare book titled
The Stag Party (ca 1891) and
it is also found in Randolph (song #40 "The Schoolhouse
Door (This Mornin')" pgs. 177-8).
. Thanks! John Patrick.