Family Tree (Album version) Lyrics

Something woke me up last night, like something cracking

Roof rocking from the wind made me wary

Had to rise up and check for any damage done

The oak, four hundred years old, still standing

Like it’s been standing with our family line

A fallen branch didn’t do much harm

I’m tending a tree that’s seen the born of nations

In keeping with the work of generations

We have to guard it, not to let it fall

It keeps giving shelter to us all

We all are leaning on a family tree

Climbing up the ancient tree I see the signs of past

They’re some bullet holes and rope burns on one branch

This oak has seen the terrors of the war

I can see a carving from one hundred years ago

Great grand uncle Marvin winning back his love

Their story drove them to the western shore

I’m tending a tree that’s seen the born of nations

In keeping with the work of generations

We have to guard it, not to let it fall

It keeps giving shelter to us all

We all are leaning on a family tree

There was a dreary phase, our farm was going bust

A greedy banker almost made us bite the dust

With devil’s luck we made it through those days

I’m tending a tree that’s seen the born of nations

In keeping with the work of generations

We have to guard it, not to let it fall

It keeps giving shelter to us all

We all are leaning on a family tree

It’s a sunny afternoon, little Judd is here to play

He’s crawling by the tree, sleep is on its way

Yet another one is leaning on that tree