About the song
Despite its fiery title, “Settin’ the Woods on Fire” by Hank Williams isn’t a tale of pyromania. Released in September 1952, this lively single became a chart-topper, reaching number 2 on both the U.S. Billboard Most Played by Jockeys and National Best Sellers charts. But there’s a surprising twist behind the song’s creation.
While the song sounds like a quintessential Hank Williams composition, with its twangy guitars and signature vocals, it was actually penned by a duo outside the country music scene. Song publisher and producer Fred Rose, along with a New Yorker named Ed G. Nelson, were the true originators. Hank recorded the song with Rose producing at Nashville’s Castle Studio in June 1952, backed by a stellar band featuring Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Don Helms (steel guitar), Harold Bradley (rhythm guitar), and likely Chet Atkins (lead guitar) and Ernie Newton (bass).
While the song’s authorship may surprise some, its impact on country music is undeniable. Author Colin Escott suggests that “Settin’ the Woods on Fire” “pointed unerringly toward rockabilly,” foreshadowing the genre’s high-energy style that would emerge in the later 50s. The song’s popularity even transcended country music, with a memorable appearance in a 2007 episode of The Batman, featuring the Joker and Harley Quinn singing it while causing havoc in Gotham City.
“Settin’ the Woods on Fire” didn’t just leave its mark on the charts; it sparked a wave of cover versions. Artists like Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford (duet, 1952), Jerry Lee Lewis (unreleased Sun Records version, 1958), Johnny Burnette (1958), and George Jones (on his 1960 album “George Jones Salutes Hank Williams”) all took their turns reimagining the song. Later generations of country stars also felt the song’s allure, with covers by Porter Wagoner (1963), Mason Proffit (1973), Chris LeDoux (1991), The Tractors (1994), and Delbert McClinton (2022).
“Settin’ the Woods on Fire” may not have been born directly from Hank Williams’ pen, but it became a signature part of his repertoire and a testament to his ability to capture a song’s energy and spirit. Its lasting influence on country music and its surprising cultural references solidify its place as a classic, proving that sometimes, even a borrowed spark can light a fire.
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Lyrics
Comb your hair and paint and powder
You act proud and I’ll act prouder
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 and 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 having 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 I’ll be dilly
We’ll order up two bowls of chili
Settin’ the woods on fire
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
Tonight we’ll have ball, 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 law’s allowin’
Tomorrow I’ll be right back plowin’
Settin’ the woods on fire Hank Williams