A Day In The Life Of A Tree


Original Album
Surf's Up
Written By
Brian Wilson/Jack Reiley
Produced By
Brian Wilson
Lead Vocals
Jack Rieley with Van Dyke Parks and Brian at the tag
Recorded On
1971
Length
3:10
Notes
  • It's hard to say if this ia an attempt at environmentalism, it could so easily be about Brian's life. Apparently, Brian was quite moved during a playback. p>Supposedly, he asked Jack Reiley to sing the lead because, "he sounded like a tree".
Lyrics
Feel the wind burn through my skin
The pain, the air is killing me
For years my limbs stretched to the sky
A nest for birds to sit and sing

But now my branches suffer
And my leaves don't bear the glow
They did so long ago

One day I was full of life
My sap was rich and I was strong
From seed to tree I grew so tall
Through wind and rain I could not fall

But now my branches suffer
and my leaves don't offer
Poetry to men of song

Trees like me weren't meant to live
If all this world can give
Pollution and slow death

Oh Lord I lay me down
No life's left to be found
There's nothing left for me

Trees like me weren't meant to live
If all this earth can give
Is pollution

Trees like me weren't meant to live
(Oh Lord I lay me down)
If all this earth can give
(My branches to the ground)
Is pollution and slow death
(There's nothing left for me)

Oh Lord I lay me down
My branches to the ground
There's nothing left for me
Chords
(Original Key: Db)


D............F#m/D......Em7/D........D7
Feel the wind burn through my skin
........Em7/D...A7/D.............D
The pain, the air is killing me
.........D..........F#m/D............Em7/D...D7
For years my limbs stretched to the sky
....Em7/D..A7/D..................D
A nest for birds to sit and sing
.........G............A7.......A#dim..Bm.......D7...............................Em
But now my branches suffer and my leaves don't bear the glow
F#m..Em7/G.A7...D
They did so long ago

D.......F#m/D..Em7/D..D7
One day I was full of life
.....Em7/D...A7/D...................D
My sap was rich and I was strong
.............D......F#m/D..Em7/D..D7
From seed to tree I grew so tall
..............Em7/D....A7/D...................D
Through wind and rain I could not fall
.........G..............A7.....A#dim..Bm........D7
But now my branches suffer and my leaves don't offer
Em.F#m.Em7/G.A7..D
Poetry to men of song

D.............F#m/D.....................Em7/D...D7........................Em7/D
Trees like me weren't meant to live if all this world can give
........A7/D.....................D
Is pollution and slow death
......F#m/D............Em7/D....D7...................Em7/D
Oh Lord I lay me down no life's left to be found
..............A7/D..................D
There's nothing left for me
(D)..........F#m/D.......................Em7/D...D7.....................Em7/D
Trees like me weren't meant to live if all this earth can give
.......A7/D......D
Is pollution
......F#m/D............Em7/D.......D7..................Em7/D
Oh Lord I lay me down my branches to the ground
.............A7/D...................D
There's nothing left for me


Chart prepared by Francis Greene
Sheet Music

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