11 Amazing Songs Associated with Trees | Playlist

1. Serpentwithfeet, “Wood Boy”

  DEACON •   Secretly Canadian •   2021

“Wood Boy” marks one of the best songs from  DEACON.  DEACON is the sophomore album from openly gay, alternative R&B artist serpentwithfeet (Josiah Wise).  This incredibly sensual record represents one of the biggest discussion pieces of DEACON.

Remaining true to who he is, serpentwithfeet describes the pleasure of gay sex. Serpentwithfeet lets us know what he likes and how he likes it.  More people should be honest about sex and sexuality, right? Anyways, there’s no escaping sexual roles (“Damn, I like him inside me”) or size (“He’s stacking that wood / Just like he should / Got my wood, wood boy”).  That’s grown-folk, adult conversation, but ultimately, it’s tastefully done.

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2. Taylor Swift, “Willow”

  evermore •   Taylor Swift •   2020

“Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind.” An awesome lyric from an awesome song!  “Willow” initiates   evermore – the SECOND surprise album from the ever-dominant,   Grammy-winning musician,   Taylor Swift – brilliantly, ranking among the best of the album. The production by   Aaron Dessner is gorgeous, featuring both standard instrumentation (piano/keyboards, guitar, bass, drums), as well as adding wind and string instruments.

Swift sings with ease, never getting too high, yet packing a punch, nonetheless.  Much like the excerpted lyric, the song is incredibly well-written, including a memorable, tuneful chorus.  Ask yourself this question: Would a weeping willow tree even weep hearing this glorious song?

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3. Tyler, The Creator, “LUMBERJACK”

  CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST •   Columbia •   2021 

“Rolls-Royce pull up, black boy hop out / Shout out to my mother and my father, didn’t pull out.” Woo!   Grammy-winner   Tyler, The Creator, shines on the brief, potent “LUMBERJACK” from his 2021 album,   CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST. Tyler is back to being unapologetic – at least for two-minutes-plus!

“LUMBERJACK” has more of an old-school, less refined quality where production is concerned.  Notably, it samples Gravediggaz 1994 song, “2 Cups of Blood”, giving it that vintage hip-hop edge. Tyler takes it and runs with it.  He begins the record with an excerpt from the eventual chorus before dropping an intro that properly (or, at least, interestingly) sets up the record.  The chorus is the centerpiece – one of the best aspects of the song

“Rolls-Royce pull up, black boy hop out
Shout out to my mother and my father, didn’t pull out
... Whips on whips, my ancestors got they backs out
... Call me lumberjack ‘cause I wish a nigga would race.”

Tyler comes through over the course of two verses too.  “I took the gold bitch home, niggas was big mad,” he spits on the first verse, referencing his Grammy. As for the second verse, it’s arguably more outlandish whether it’s “My nigga tall, look like a bitch, I call him Mulan” (ah, another queer reference from TTC) or “Used to treat me like that boy from   Malcolm in the Middle.” All in all, “LUMBERJACK” finds Tyler, The Creator being true to self.  While it runs only two minutes, there’s plenty to unpack.

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4. Pitbull, “Timber”

Ft. Kesha

  Global Warming: Meltdown •   RCA •   2014

Off the top, Grammy winner   Pitbull goes dumb on “Timber,” a highlight from his 2012 album,   Global Warming: Meltdown.  “Timber” is incredibly corny, but also catchy as hell, hence, ‘feel-good corny.’  Grammy-nominated pop standout   Kesha is perfectly suited for the chorus, in all its glory: “It’s going down, I’m yelling timber / You better move, you better dance / Let’s make a night you won’t remember / I’ll be the one you won’t forget.” At least Pit and Kesha understand the definition of the word, right?

Pitbull has some memorable lyrical moments.  One of the first that shines is sexual, and recalls   Miley Cyrus during her   BANGERZ phase:

“I have ‘em like Miley Cyrus, clothes off
Twerking in their bras and thongs, timber
Face down, booty up, timber
That the way we like the what, timber...”

He also goes on to add the less sexual but equally confident, “Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane / Nah, it’s just me, ain’t a damn thing changed.” Again, to reiterate, “It’s going down / I’m yelling TIMBER!”

5. Kendrick Lamar, “Money Trees”

Ft. Jay Rock

  Good Kid m.A.A.d City •   Interscope •   2012

“Money trees is the perfect place for shade / And that’s just how I feel, nah, nah / A dollar might just fuck your main bitch.” “Money Trees,” produced by   DJ Dahi, contains a sample of “Silver Soul” as performed by indie-pop/alt band   Beach House.  The hip-hop production combined with the sunny Beach House sample works superbly. This   Kendrick Lamar cut from his 2012 album,   Good Kid m.A.A.d City possesses a laid-back, west coast vibe, most evident on the hook.

  Jay Rock appears on the third verse, yielding the killer lyric “Dreams of me getting shaded under a money tree…”  K-Dot has his own stellar moments naturally, including, “I fucked Sherane then went to tell my bros / Then Usher Raymond ‘Let it Burn’ came on…”). Sherane, of course, plays a role on the conceptual LP.

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6. Kanye West, “Blood on the Leaves”

Yeezus •   Def Jam •   2013

Most critics loved   Kanye West’s  Yeezus – it scored an 84 via Metacritic. Still, the album wasn’t the   Grammy winner’s most successful from a commercial standpoint.  Nonetheless, there were some awesome moments, arguably none more thrilling than the   Nina Simone sampling “Blood On The Leaves” (“Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees / Blood on the leaves”), easily one of the best songs of the rapper’s illustrious career.  Those biting, malicious synths within the production – WOO!

Honest and emotional, West delivers some superb rhymes. Such rhymes include a reference to a truism that money can’t buy everything.  Specifically, Mr. West asserts, “And all I want is what I can’t buy now.” Of course, there’s also some colorful references to Jay-Z and   Beyoncé that we couldn’t possibly omit:

“I don’t give a damn if you used to talk to JAY-Z
He ain’t with you, he with Beyoncé, you need to stop actin’ lazy.”

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7. KT Tunstall, “Black Horse and The Cherry Tree”

  Eye to the Telescope •   Universal Music Operations Limited •   2006

“Woohoo, woohoo!” For Scottish musician KT Tunstall, one song put her on the map during the aughts: “Black Horse and The Cherry Tree.” Mention her name, at least here in the United States, and that’s always the record that comes to mind. “Black Horse and The Cherry Tree” appears on her 2006 album,   Eye to the Telescope.  To tell you just how notable this black horse/cherry tree joint was, it earned Tunstall a Grammy nomination.

“Well, my heart knows me better than know myself
So, I’m gonna let it do all the talking
(Woohoo, woohoo)
I came across a place in the middle of nowhere
With a big black horse and a cherry tree.”

Tunstall penned this colorful, sub-three-minute classic on her own, while   Steve Osborne and   Andy Green work behind the boards.  The result is an infectious, hard-to-pigeonhole song – we’ll stick with the category it was nominated for by The Recording Academy, I suppose.  KT gives a fabulous vocal performance, infused with energy and personality – a winning formula.

“And it said, ‘No-no, no, no-no-no’
I said, ‘No, no
You’re not the one for me’.”

8. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, “Sea of Trees”

  12 Bar Bruise •   Flightless •   2012

“Sea of Trees” is an energetic, rollicking, fast-paced song from psychedelic rock standouts King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard.  “Sea of Trees” appears on the collective’s 2012 album, 12 Bar Bruise.  That said, even if this three-and-a-quarter-minute joint is set in a major key and sounds happy, you should totally dive into the lyrics and theme.

“Sea of Trees” is named after/associated with the Sea of Trees in Japan, perhaps best known as the Aokigahara forest.  That forest, of course, has become one of the most infamous places on the planet, as it’s known for its high suicide rate.  So, the ‘See of Trees’ aka the Aokigahara forest has earned its most popular nickname, ‘Suicide Forest’ given its unfortunate, high suicide rate. While Stu Mackenzie and company deliver a record that doesn’t sound morbid, the lyrics confirm the connection with Aokigahara.

“Oh, hell, I’m feeling underwater
My head is sinking like a stone
And hell, I’m feeling kinda sick
I don’t know what’s the use in it
And when you’re feeling suicidal
Sometimes, you’ve just got to unfold.”

9. The Spencer Lee Band, “Kissing Tree”

“Kissing Tree” •   Republic •   2018 

Rising pop/rock collective   The Spencer Lee Band introduced themselves to the world with the thrilling, funk-soul-infused single,   “Kissing Tree.” Initially, “Kissing Tree” is accompanied solely by rhythm guitar, playing just two chords. The chorus appears shortly after the simple intro, sporting smooth, soulful vocals by   Spencer Lee. Those vocals encompass magnificent falsetto and vocal harmonization.

Lyrically, the chorus is where ‘the bread is buttered.’

“Girl, just come with me
Feel your fantasy
I want to see you underneath this old kissing tree
Hold my hand, sweet love
Bless the stars above
I want to see you underneath this old kissing tree.”

After flaunting sick falsetto on the chorus, Lee contrasts, exhibiting full-bodied, middle-register vocals on the first verse. The addition of snaps ‘broaden the horizons’ on the second iteration of the chorus, preceded by a string chord hit. Full-fledged, funky production appears on the second verse, including a clavinet reminiscent of the 70s. The lead vocals are chocked-full of swagger, attitude, and rhythm. The ad-libs are a selling point throughout, specifically towards the end of the record.  Ultimately, “Kissing Tree” sounds refreshing, yet soulful and throwback.

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10. Radiohead, “Fake Plastic Trees”

  The Bends •   XL Recordings •   1995

“A green plastic watering can / For a fake Chinese rubber plant.”  Hmm, doesn’t sound like a positive connotation to me. The lyrics continue, “In a fake plastic earth / That she bought from a rubber man.” Yeah, NOT a positive connotation on   “Fake Plastic Trees,” the fourth track from   The Bends.  The Bends is the 1995 sophomore album by   Radiohead.  The Bends is hailed as one of the best albums of the 90s. It’s considered a post-grunge/pre-electronic album by the   Grammy-winning alternative rock collective, preceding their landmark third LP,   OK Computer.

Focusing on “Fake Plastic Trees,” Thom Yorke continues to show himself to be an elite front man.  He delivers a mix of tender and grittier vocals.  His falsetto is sweet, while his edgier moments perfectly represent the post-grunge movement.  Lyrically, as with most Radiohead songs, Yorke and company compel with their clever and descriptive pen.  The way that they weave plastic and plasticity in is brilliant: “She lives with a broken man / A cracked, polystyrene man.” All these things Yorke mentions, with a gorgeous melody over a marvelous backdrop, well, “It wears me out.”

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11. Brenda Lee, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”

  Merry Christmas from Brenda •   UMG Recordings, Inc. •   1964 

One of the most popular Christmas recordings EVER arrives courtesy of pop and country singer,   Brenda Lee.  That beloved gem is “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which commences her 1964 Christmas album,   Merry Christmas from Brenda.  It’s rare that a holiday classic can cement your artistic legacy but that’s certainly the case with Lee.  Had she recorded no other song, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” would’ve been sufficient.

What makes it so awesome? It’s fun, novel, and honestly, incredibly festive.  Listening to it, you just absorb the spirit of Christmas.  Brenda’s exuberant vocals makes us exuberant.  The saxophone solo ups the ante, making us want to dance and share “the most wonderful time of the year” with those we love.  Honestly, this two-minutes-and-change number speaks for itself.

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