Click The song title below to see the lyrics.
Now, what is a tree? Does anybody know?
Just what they are and just how they grow?
What do they need? And what do they do?
And what are they used for? And by whom?
Who, oh, oh, I tried to find out.
I went down to the forest and took a look about. I saw that trees are alive.
They sprout, and they live, and they die.
Trees are big plants
that bend when the wind makes them them dance.
CHORUS
Who, oh, oh, I tried to find out.
I went down to the library and took a book out. I read that trees start as seeds.
They grow in the soil if they get what they need.
Yes, with minerals, water and sun,
Trees grow year after year before they’re done
CHORUS
Who, oh, oh, I tried to find out.
I went down to the building site and heard the carpenter shout,
I use trees that have been cut down, but the lumber I use can’t be round
so the sawmill makes the edges square
so I can build houses or schools anywhere.
CHORUS
Who, oh, oh, I tried to find out.
I went to the forest and heard the birdies sing out.
I use trees for my home, from one to another I roam.
And in the trees I build my nest
because that’s where my babies are protected the best
My roots run deep - yes, deep into the ground
They grow towards water, soak it up when it’s found
Yes, my roots run deep - oh, deep into the ground.
They give me water and keep me from falling down.
Now, my roots have hairs, it’s them that keep me fed
with the minerals and water; without them I’d be dead. UNGH !
My roots run deep - yes, deep into the ground
where minerals and water can be absorbed when they’re found.
Yes, my roots run deep - oh, deep into the ground.
Well, now They give me water and keep me from falling down.
down in the ground, they're growing down in the ground
Now, my roots have hairs, it’s them that keep me fed
with the minerals and water; without them I’d be dead. UNGH!
Unless Mycorrhizae, the fungus root, ooohhhh
Mycorrhizae, grows on my root shoots
and helps my roots as they run deep, yes, deep into the ground
where the minerals and water can be absorbed when they’re found.
my roots run deep - oh, so deep into the ground.
Well, now, they give me water and keep me from falling down.
down in the ground they're growing down in the ground
Wet ground!
Warm sun!
My life as a tree.
Has just begun.
I’m so sure;
I nave no doubts,
because my shell has cracked, and I have a sprout!
It’s growing up, and growing out,
it’s growing up,and growing out!
Yippee, Hooray! I am a sprout!
Yippee, Hooray! I am a sprout!
Yippee, Hooray! I am a sprout!
Well, the sun comes streaming out of the sky,
making everything grow and keeping us alive.
And our main connection to the sun are the green leaves.
( green leaves,green leaves,green leaves,green leaves)
Only they can make food with sunshine energy.
What keeps the leaves green and the sunlight stashed
are those chlorophyll containers called chloroplasts.
There are millions of them in every leaf.
They get excited when the leaf gets lighted
and become the tree’s food factories. ( become the tree’s food factories. )
Oh, Photosynthesis, yes, photosynthesis;
it’s a process that let’s life exist - that photosynthesis.
You know it’s true, we’d all be through
without the rock and roll of Photosynthesis.
oh yeah, yeah yeahee yeah yeah
Oh, minerals and water coming up from the ground,
which is where the rain falls and the roots are found.
They travel just beneath the bark up into the leaves.
Leaves use what they need to make food for the tree,
and the rest is vaporized as it’s released.
uh huh
Now, where the vapor slips out, carbon dioxide slips in
just as the leaf releases water’s oxygen
it makes it free for you and me
it’s the living example of harmony
so next time you think everything’s all wrong
go breathe amongst the leaves you’re gonna know you belong
( go breathe amongst the leaves you’re gonna know you belong )
CHORUS
Now when the leaves get sunshine and water, too;
and carbon dioxide from me and you;
they make that mighty sugar people call Glucose.
It becomes other sugars in the bark and is stored as starch.
Yes, food flowing where and when the tree needs it most.
CHORUS
This bark on me is my skin.
It keeps diseases out and tree juices in,
and protects me from bugs, dust, and wind.
Even though sometimes the bugs get in.
So the woodpeckers come
and they make their mark,
saying, “Knock, knock, knock!
We’re hungry and there’s
bugs in your bark.”
But, if the bark breaks,
disease may set in, killing me,
just because of broken skin,
just because of broken skin,
just because ...
Now leaves make food
that travels through the bark
down to the roots
the food goes
( Flow -low- em )
While minerals and water
rise through sap wood
up to the leaves
they flow
( Xy - high - lem )
and in between the bark
and the sap wood
each spring
a new tree ring grows
( cambium )
so if the bark is broken
in a ring around the tree
the food stops, the tree dies
OHHHH NOOOOOOOO yes....
In the forest,
a young tree grows
so small and so alive.
It sings a song, if you want to know
just how hard it tries.
Now listen! It’s singing in the wind
and the song is making the big trees grin.
“Hey, you big guys, let me have some sun.
Yeh, the sun is for everyone.
What’s the matter? You act like you can’t hear!
Oh, forget it, I’ll grow over here,
grow over here . . . ”
It’s sunshine energy!!