«Settin’ the Woods on Fire» is the name of a single and the A-side song by Hank Williams released in 1952. The song reached #2 on U.S. Billboard Most Played by Jockeys chart and #2 on the National Best Sellers chart.
Although it sounds remarkably like a Hank Williams composition, «Settin’ the Woods on Fire» was written by Hank’s song publisher and producer Fred Rose and an elderly New Yorker, Ed G. Nelson. Williams recorded it with Rose producing at Castle Studio on June 13, 1952 in Nashville with Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Don Helms (steel guitar), and Harold Bradley (rhythm guitar), while it is speculated that Chet Atkins played lead guitar and Ernie Newton played bass. The song peaked at #2 while the B-side, «You Win Again,» climbed to #10. Author Colin Escott offers that the song «pointed unerringly toward rockabilly,» In 2007, an episode of The Batman was released called Two of a Kind, Joker and Harley Quinn sing the song while causing chaos in Gotham City.
B-side «You Win Again»
Released September 1952
Recorded June 13, 1952
Studio Castle Studio, Nashville
Genre Country, rockabilly
Length 2:35
Label MGM Records
Songwriter(s) Fred Rose, Edward Nelson
Producer(s) Fred Rose
Hank Williams – Settin’ The Woods On Fire Lyrics
You sing loud and I’ll sing louder tonight we’re settin’ the woods on fire
You’re my gal and I’m your feller dress up in your frock of yeller
I’ll look swell but you’ll look sweller settin’ the woods on fire
We’ll take in all the honky tonks tonight we’re havin’ fun
We’ll show the folks a brand new dance that never has been done
I don’t care who thinks we’re silly you’ll be daffy and I’ll be dilly
We’ll order up two bowls of chili settin’ the woods on fire
[ steel – fiddle ]
I’ll gas up my hot rod stoker we’ll get hotter than a poker
You’ll be broke but I’ll be broker tonight we’re settin’ the woods on fire
We’ll sit close to one another up one street and down the other
We’ll have us a time oh brother settin’ the woods on fire
We’ll put aside a little time to fix a flat or two
My tires and tubes are doin’ fine but the air is showin’ through
You clap hands and I’ll start bowin’ we’ll do all the laws allowin’
Tomorrow I’ll be right back plowin’ settin’ the woods on fire
