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Knotty Pine Lyrics
She's my knotty pine
She leans with the wind, She cries turpentine
Sometimes she nettles me but I don't mind
Only now and then
When her branches lean beneath the snow
She's knotty but nice
Reaching for the sky, she don't like snow 'n ice
To leave things as they stand is my advice
She's been good to me
So I tend to go there when I can
She's my knotty pine
Such a pretty scene, she tries to be kind
She gives birds a home and shelters them
In her coat of green
She's as green as evergreen can be
She's a real delight
When little breezes call to ruffle up her skin
All her sap runs free and sticks to me
Hidden deep within
I will be her slave eternally
She's knotty but wise
She holds her anger in, trees are her disguise
Cones are taking root before my eyes
Find them if you can
Among her boughs she keeps them out of sight
She's my knotty pine
Sunlight in her hair by the serpentine
Though she is independent, I don't mind
Standing over there
Just beyond that maple on the right
She's my knotty pine
She leans with the wind, she crys turpentine
Sometimes she nettles me but I don't mind
Only now and then
When her branches lean beneath the snow
She leans with the wind, She cries turpentine
Sometimes she nettles me but I don't mind
Only now and then
When her branches lean beneath the snow
Reaching for the sky, she don't like snow 'n ice
To leave things as they stand is my advice
She's been good to me
So I tend to go there when I can
Such a pretty scene, she tries to be kind
She gives birds a home and shelters them
In her coat of green
She's as green as evergreen can be
When little breezes call to ruffle up her skin
All her sap runs free and sticks to me
Hidden deep within
I will be her slave eternally
She holds her anger in, trees are her disguise
Cones are taking root before my eyes
Find them if you can
Among her boughs she keeps them out of sight
Sunlight in her hair by the serpentine
Though she is independent, I don't mind
Standing over there
Just beyond that maple on the right
She leans with the wind, she crys turpentine
Sometimes she nettles me but I don't mind
Only now and then
When her branches lean beneath the snow
Song Info
Submitted by
butneveroutgunned On May 27, 2006
More Gordon Lightfoot
If You Could Read My Mind
Sundown
The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald
Carefree Highway
Summer Side Of Life
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The genius of this song is it could be either about a tree or a woman. One example is she "nettles" him but he doesn't mind, only when "her branches lean beneath the snow". If he's referring to a tree, he could be talking about being pricked by pine needles and it's worse when they're hidden beneath the snow. If he's referring to a woman, it could be he doesn't mind her minor barbs but when she gets under his skin, he minds. In the final analysis, there are more good things about the knotty pine, be it tree or woman, that the writer likes.
Yo me, this song is about a woman. Maybe I'm wrong because GL is an environmentalist. But that's how I interpret it.