Kathy Mattea - The Maple's Lament lyrics

When I was alive the birds would nest upon my boughs And all through long winter nights, the storms would 'round me howl And when the day would come, I'd raise my branches to the sun I was the child of earth and sky, and all the world was one But now that I am dead, the birds no longer sing in me And I feel no more the wind and rain, as when I was a tree But bound so tight in wire strings, I have no room to grow And I am but the slave who sings, when master draws the bow But sometimes from my memories I can sing the birds in flight And I can sing of sweet dark earth and endless starry nights But oh, my favorite song of all, I truly do believe Is the song the sunlight sang to me while dancing on my leaves