Christine Lavin - The Runaway Christmas Tree lyrics

I was putting my niece Holly to bed (it was Christmas Eve) we had a long talk about Santa Claus in whom she truly believes But one thing she's not sure of she looks at me with big brown eyes and says, "Every year we decorate a tree Why, Aunt Teen, why?" So I tell her it's a traditional part of every Christmas season but that doesn't satisfy her she wants a specific reason "Why a fir tree? Why the tinsel? Why that string of blinky lights? unless you tell me I won't sleep!" I'll lie awake all night! All right all right all right! Long ago and far away "Where?" Aunt Teen I don't know! a family moved into a house surrounded by drifts of snow It was December 23rd their living room was bare so the Daddy said "I think by the fireplace, a tree would look good standing there" So they marched into the woods (it was freezing cold outside) they cut a great big fir tree down 7 feet tall, 4 feet wide They dragged the tree into their house put it up in the living room and smiled 'cause the tree in the firelight chased away the gloom That night when they went to bed the Wind blew the front door open wide it picked up the great big tree and carried it outside It flew it through the yard and back into the woods and placed that tree smack dab upon the stump on which it stood The morning of Christmas Eve the family came downstairs they could not find their fir tree it just wasn't there! So they searched outside and sure enough they found their tree and then they dragged it through the snowdrifts into their house again But that night the Wind came back blew open the front door it picked up that great big tree and carried it out once more On Christmas morning, in the living room no fir tree could be found! the worried family went outside to take a look around They recaptured that restless tree (same woods, same stump, same place) but they shook their heads in wonderment this was a very strange case! They dragged the tree back to their house the Dad said, "we must invent a lock to keep the tree from blowing off or maybe glue it to a rock?" But then his littlest daughter said "Daddy, I've got an idea! What if we weigh it down with things so it will have to stay right here? . . . But first, let's unwrap our presents!" they did, and before too long a time the living room was filled with toys, games, wrapping paper, and twine "Let's hang our gifts on the tree!" the littlest son then said "That's my boy," his mother cried, that's using your head!" So they hung the toys and games and books and ribbons on the tree cut wrapping paper in the shape of angels it was a sight to see! That night when the family went to bed the tree saw it's reflection and knew it's destiny was taking on a new direction And when the Wind blew the door open the tree said "I'm not going anywhere I'm warm, I'm cozy, I'm all dressed up I don't want to go outside! I don't want to be bare!" But the Wind said "You belong outside with all the other trees!" No I don't! I'm special! Get lost you . . . big bad breeze!" So the Wind left sadly, closed the door and blew off into the sky. . . (I wondered if my niece Holly was asleep but her eyes were still open wide so I kept going. . .) The next day the family came downstairs and smiled at the sight of their beautifully decorated tree in the glowing firelight And the tree could not take its eyes off the mirror on the wall I told my niece "That's the reason why we decorate trees" and she said "That's it? That's all? That's the story? I'm not sleeping yet! tell me more! tell me more!" So then I think and I think and I think and I think and say, OK, this is how it ends: For a week the tree is all dressed up but then the novelty wears thin Christmastime is over the New Year comes rolling in And even though the tree gets lots of drinks of cool, fresh water the family starts ignoring it even the littlest daughter "I think it's time to take it down" the Mom and Daddy said "Soon the needles will fall out and then it will be . . .dead!" So they took off all the decorations and now the tree is bare it doesn't like what it sees in the mirror it's not happy standing there That night it calls out to the Wind "O carry me back into the woods! I long to see the other trees and the ground on which I stood!" The Wind hears its call, comes roaring in picks it up, blows it out the door the next day the family looks and looks but the tree is gone. . . forevermore Which was lucky, for after searching all day the family was cold and tired and the Dad had planned to chop the tree up and burn it in the fire! The Wind had known that would happen so it blew into the room to rescue the tree from what could only be considered Certain doom! And that is why the week after New Year's to this very day you see old Christmas trees on every street corner what are they doing? They're running away! We put decorations on them to make them too heavy to run! 'cause they know what's in store for them when their job is done! We chop them down! We drag them off! We dress them up! We sing them songs! O Christmas tree! O Christmas tree! How did things go so wrong? (I look and my niece is sleeping that's good, she needs her rest she didn't hear the ending of this story that's probably for the best) But no! her eyes pop open Holly is awake "I heard what you said, Aunt Teen, you've made a big mistake! Our tree won't be unhappy like all those other ones we'll take it to the Nature Center when Christmastime is done The Nature Center recycles everything made of wood They can turn our tree into mulch! Mulch is very good! It will help the little trees to grow big and strong!" Holly's right, so that is how we will end this song Don't make your tree have to run away when Christmastime is through if you help it return to its roots it will in turn help you And all the little growing trees will dream about the way they hope they will be decorated come next Christmas Day