# Leon Russell - Out in the Woods lyrics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [April 3, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-russell-out-in-the-woods-lyrics/654773 "2013-04-03T21:06:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-russell-out-in-the-woods-lyrics/654773/1 "2013-04-03T21:06:33Z")
Another post about Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Eve” got me thinking about Leon Russell’s “Out in the Woods”. After listening to it as close as possible I can’t for the life of me make out what the backup singers are chanting at the end of the song. Is it English? Is it a genuine African chant? Is it gibberish? Sounds to me something like “Don’t you think I blah blah blah”. Can anybody clarify this for me. [Link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyOnK-L19TM) ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-russell-out-in-the-woods-lyrics/654773/2 "2013-04-04T14:10:42Z")
One of the great remaining unanswered song lyric questions… supposedly it’s Swahili. (I would also love to know because it’s one of my favorite LR songs.) On edit: The first reply on [this page](http://shelby.tv/video/youtube/XyOnK-L19TM/out-in-the-woods-leon-russell) gives a translation (“walking in a circle”), but I have no idea of whether it’s credible. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-russell-out-in-the-woods-lyrics/654773/3 "2013-04-04T18:04:27Z")
Thanks for the link **cjepson**. I was afraid this thread would die a lonely death. Swahili. Sounds about right. ---
**Author:** ![Kennepede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Kennepede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kennepede)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-russell-out-in-the-woods-lyrics/654773/4 "2020-11-21T17:37:55Z")
It is Zulu. See this article: [Alaska with attitude : Lost in the woods](https://alaskaatitude.blogspot.com/2012/02/lost-in-woods.html) I had heard the story before about translating “lost in the woods” and got a kick out of the mind set that the Zulu don’t get lost in the woods. And therefore, there is no phrase for it. ---
**Author:** ![Kennepede](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Kennepede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kennepede)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-russell-out-in-the-woods-lyrics/654773/5 "2020-11-21T17:58:00Z")
Check this out, too. Such a good performance as Leon breaks into preacher-like story telling. At about the 7-minute mark he explains the story behind the the chant. [Out In The Woods (Live/Remastered) - YouTube](https://youtu.be/b7IYrFkYyJA) ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-russell-out-in-the-woods-lyrics/654773/6 "2020-11-21T19:19:55Z")
I’ve always loved that version “Zulus don’t get lost in the woods!” ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2020, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leon-russell-out-in-the-woods-lyrics/654773/7 "2020-11-22T01:55:56Z")
Ngiyabonga **Kennepede**! It was worth the wait.