What’s Lurking in Your Family Tree?

I love these lyrics from “I Think I Hear a Woodpecker Knocking at My Family Tree.” They serve as a reminder that it’s best to have a sense of humor and an open mind when delving into genealogy.

My family tree is an awful sight to see
For the bark is all worn bare;

It’s a busted stump which is mostly punk
And the worms are nesting there.

I’d point with pride to the ones who died
In my genealogy,

But the fact is this, almost all my kin and kith,
Have been hanged up on that tree.

The song was composed by Joseph Edgar Howard in 1909. For the full verse, browse the University of Oregon’s Historic Sheet Music Collection.