Paul Bunyan
Famous Poem
This version of the poem is from Shel Silverstein's book of poems for children, "Where the Sidewalk Ends" published in 1974.
A slightly different version of "Paul" is sung by Bobby Bare in his 1973 album, "Lullabys, Legends and Lies".
He begins with an introduction, "You know, American folklore is filled with legendary characters like... Billy The Kid, Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill... and probably the greatest one of all has got to be Paul Bunyan, 'cause he was the meanest and the biggest and dirtiest, tobacco chewin'est, and the funkiest and the best woodchopper of all of 'em".
Paul Bunyan is a lumberjack of huge size and strength in American folk tales. Usually included in these Tall Tales is his companion, Babe the Blue Ox, a giant creature of extraordinary strength.
He rode through the woods on a big blue ox,
He had fists as hard as choppin' blocks,
Five hundred pounds and nine feet tall...that's Paul.
He rode through the woods on a big blue ox,
He had fists as hard as choppin' blocks,
Five hundred pounds and nine feet tall...that's Paul.
Talk about workin', when he swung his axe
You could hear it ring for a mile and a half.
Then he'd yell "Timber!" and down she'd fall...for Paul.
Talk about drinkin', that man's so mean
That he'd never drink nothin' but kerosene,
And a five-gallon can is a little bit small...for Paul.
Talk about tough, well he once had a fight
With a thunderstorm on a cold dark night.
I ain't sayin' who won,
But it don't storm at all...round here...thanks to Paul.
He was ninety years old when he said with a sigh,
"I think I'm gonna lay right down and die
'Cause sunshine and sorrow, I've seen it all...says Paul.
He says, "There ain't no man alive can kill me,
Ain't no woman 'round can thrill me,
And I think heaven just mught be a ball"...says Paul.
So he died...and we cried.
It took eighteen men just to bust the ground,
It took twenty-four more just to lower him down.
And we covered him up and we figured that was all...for Paul.
But late one night the trees started shakin',
The dogs started howlin' and the earth started quakin',
And out of the ground with a "Hi, y'all"...comes Paul!
He shook the dirt from off his clothes,
He scratched his butt and wiped his nose.
"Y'know, bein' dead wasn't no fun at all"...says Paul.
He says, "Up in heaven they got harps on their knees,
They got clouds and wings but they got no trees.
I don't think that's much of a heaven at all"...says Paul.
So he jumps on his ox with a fare-thee-well,
He says, "I'll find out if there's trees in hell."
And he rode away, and that was all...we ever seen...of Paul.
But the next time you hear a "Timber!" yell
That sounds like it's comin' from the pits of hell,
Then a weird and devilish ghostly wail
Like somebody's choppin' on the devil's tail,
Then a shout, a call, a crash, a fall--
That ain't no mortal man at all...that's Paul!
More...
He had fists as hard as choppin' blocks,
Five hundred pounds and nine feet tall...that's Paul.
Talk about workin', when he swung his axe
You could hear it ring for a mile and a half.
Then he'd yell "Timber!" and down she'd fall...for Paul.
Talk about drinkin', that man's so mean
That he'd never drink nothin' but kerosene,
And a five-gallon can is a little bit small...for Paul.
Talk about tough, well he once had a fight
With a thunderstorm on a cold dark night.
I ain't sayin' who won,
But it don't storm at all...round here...thanks to Paul.
He was ninety years old when he said with a sigh,
"I think I'm gonna lay right down and die
'Cause sunshine and sorrow, I've seen it all...says Paul.
He says, "There ain't no man alive can kill me,
Ain't no woman 'round can thrill me,
And I think heaven just mught be a ball"...says Paul.
So he died...and we cried.
It took eighteen men just to bust the ground,
It took twenty-four more just to lower him down.
And we covered him up and we figured that was all...for Paul.
But late one night the trees started shakin',
The dogs started howlin' and the earth started quakin',
And out of the ground with a "Hi, y'all"...comes Paul!
He shook the dirt from off his clothes,
He scratched his butt and wiped his nose.
"Y'know, bein' dead wasn't no fun at all"...says Paul.
He says, "Up in heaven they got harps on their knees,
They got clouds and wings but they got no trees.
I don't think that's much of a heaven at all"...says Paul.
So he jumps on his ox with a fare-thee-well,
He says, "I'll find out if there's trees in hell."
And he rode away, and that was all...we ever seen...of Paul.
But the next time you hear a "Timber!" yell
That sounds like it's comin' from the pits of hell,
Then a weird and devilish ghostly wail
Like somebody's choppin' on the devil's tail,
Then a shout, a call, a crash, a fall--
That ain't no mortal man at all...that's Paul!
