#75: The Giving Tree

My computer burnt out, my pre-amp burnt out but now I'm back with a new song and some good news. Songs by Bert is now a live show every Thursday evening  at 6.00 pm at the Tranzac! I have a small group of massively talented people playing with me. Lokchi (the girl who pulls her piano down the street to play at the corner of Bloor and Brunswick) is playing piano, Steve (my guitar teacher from last year) is playing guitar and I'm playing piano as well. Our first performance will be on the 14th. I hope to have lots of guests since Songs by Bert has had a lot of collaborators and I'll need their assistance to do this right. 


This song is an adaptation of the story The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I love the story and I have a feeling I'm going to return to Shel in the future for more inspiration. Enjoy the song. 

The perfect tree in the perfect place, discovered by a little boy, and he swang from her branches, and played in her leaves, And the tree was filled with joy. Summer days, he sat in her shade, Playing king of the wild frontier, He made a crown from her leaves, played king of all thieves, and they played until the sun disappeared.       

What I wouldn't give just to see you smile, what I wouldn't give to play with you for while.

Seasons changed and he heard himself saying, No time to play today. I'm way too busy, got a date in the city, And I still don't know how I'm gonna pay. Chalk full of love, looking down from above, She hated seeing him that way. So she said take all my apples, sell them in the city, And keep whatever you make.  

What I wouldn't give just see you smile, what I wouldn't give to be with you for a while. 

Time passed and the tree was surprised to see him in the forest again. She said, Swing from my branches, climb up my trunk but the boy didn't feel like playing. I'm not a kid, I got a house to build, I got a child about to be born, Well then take all my branches, build yourself a home, And you will be safe and warm.

What i wouldn't just see you smile, what i wouldn't give to talk to you for a while. 

A retired man, the boy returned, And looked sadly up at the tree, So beautiful see you, your eyes are still youthful, now come and play with me. Don't you understand, I'm a broken man, my wife died and I'm so poor. Well then Cut down my trunk, carve yourself a boat, And sail till you find a new shore.

What I wouldn't give just to see you smile, what I wouldn't give to see you happy for a while

Walking with a cane, his spine bent like a branch, His dark wise eyes deeply sunk. The boy found the tree, sad and alone, An old abandoned stump. I got no branches to swing from, no trunk to climb up, no leaves to make your crown. But if you're tired, and he was SO tired, I've got the perfect place to sit down. 

What I wouldn't give just to see you smile, what I wouldn't give just to sit with you for a while. 

What I wouldn't give just to see you smile, what I wouldn't give to be with you for a while.     

What I wouldn't give just to see you smile, what I wouldn't give just to play with you for a while.