John Hiatt
Lyric guide

Wood Chipper

Read Wood Chipper lyrics by John Hiatt on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

John Hiatt visibility1 visits
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: John Hiatt Canonical path: /john-hiatt/wood-chipper Related lyric paths: 6
Lyrics

Wood Chipper

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

Well, I'm from the Midwest

I know enough to cut a path

Around a wood chipper

And be careful

Of any conversation

A man starts by callin' you skipper

'Cause there ain't no ocean 'round here

Though a lotta little lakes where you could disappear

I wonder what the fish are bitin' on today, Jimmy

She told me not

To follow her down here

Said he was crazy about her

I guess I didn't know

What that meant

Just knew I couldn't do without her

Then I seen 'em through the window sash

He had a Forty four pistol and a bag of cash

And she was foldin' some kinda pretty note paper into her breast pocket

What some people won’t do, to break up a happy home

What some people won’t do, to break up a happy home

Well, I got the picture

A temporary love shack

In the middle of no place

They were plannin'

On usin' that cash

To get away bold-faced

Now how long did they think they could stay

The troopers and the Marshall's surely on their way

I ran through the yard and I banged my knee on his wood chipper

I was screamin' like a baby

She appeared at the window

He opened the door

And when I looked up

He said: Skipper

What're you doin’ here for

One bullet to the head

Before I hit the ground I was dead

I guess I'm tellin' you this before you go fishin' now, Jimmy

What some people won't do, break up a happy home

What some people won’t do, break up a happy home

What some people won’t do, to break up a happy home

What some people won’t do, to break up a happy home

Never found my body

But they killed 'em in a shoot out

Five miles down the road

They found that note paper

In her breast pocket

Thought it was somethin' written in code

But it was part of a letter set

I'd got her for Christmas ten years ago I'd bet

She used to just use the paper for her grocery list

(And it read)

Eggs

Hamburger meat

Bread

Funyuns

Orange drink

Toilet paper

Tidy Bowl

Pickles

Little Debbie Snack Cakes

What some people won't do, break up a happy home

What some people won't do, to break up a happy home

What some people won't do, to break up a happy home

What some people won't do, break up a happy home

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "Wood Chipper"?

John Hiatt performs "Wood Chipper", and this lyric page sits inside the John Hiatt catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "Wood Chipper"?

Yes. The related section below points to 'Til I Get My Lovin' Back and (No More) Dancing In The Street with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by John Hiatt?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through John Hiatt's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on Wood Chipper yet.