As childhood best friends and band mates growing up in Denver, Colorado, Jo… Read Full Bio ↴As childhood best friends and band mates growing up in Denver, Colorado, Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing dreamed of being professional singer-songwriters. Then, one day (poof!) they were all grown up and playing their music on the scene. After years of touring the Midwest with their bluegrass band, Joe and Justin decided to keep their folk roots, but return to where it all began: childhood imagination. That’s when they moved to Minneapolis to start their “kindie” band called The Okee Dokee Brothers.

Inspired by their own backyard adventures, The Okee Dokee Brothers currently perform original music that reminds audiences of their own make-believes and treehouse-pretendings. Listening to their banjo and guitar is like Huck and Tom whitewater rafting with Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger down the Mississippi. The Okee Dokee Brothers believe that music should be an energetic, interactive, and fun experience where kids can enjoy dancing, singing and playing instruments with their families.

As an independently managed band, the young duo has gained a loyal grassroots following that is drawn to their witty lyrics, off-the-wall humor, strong musicianship, and unique folk style. By appealing to the musical needs of the entire family and recognizing that kids deserve quality music, The Okee Dokee Brothers are working full-time to regain the integrity of the children’s music genre.

Evergreen
The Okee Dokee Brothers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

A sugar maple sure sounds sweet
And a nest in an oak tree is hard to beat
An aspen branch makes a pretty perch
And I love to land in an old black birch
But however much they lean
They'll never come between
Me and my forever and evergreen
I can stretch my wings in a mountain ash

And sing my song from a sassafras

Or fly to the top of a cottonwood
And weave through the willows all day if I could

Overall Meaning

In "Evergreen" by The Okee Dokee Brothers, the lyrics suggest a love and appreciation for nature, specifically trees. The first verse mentions different types of trees and how they have different qualities that are attractive to birds. The chorus, however, emphasizes the unconditional love for the "evergreen" tree, which will never come between the bird and its home. The second verse continues to list different types of trees that the bird enjoys visiting and interacting with, but ultimately, the evergreen is the constant.

Line by Line Meaning

A sugar maple sure sounds sweet
Sugar maple trees have a pleasant sound.

And a nest in an oak tree is hard to beat
Oak trees make for a great place to build a bird's nest.

An aspen branch makes a pretty perch
Aspen branches make for a visually appealing bird perch.

And I love to land in an old black birch
I have a fondness for visiting black birch trees.

But however much they lean
Despite leaning in a specific direction,

They'll never come between
These trees will never get in the way of

Me and my forever and evergreen
My lifelong love for evergreens.

I can stretch my wings in a mountain ash
I can fly and comfortably move around in mountain ash trees.

And sing my song from a sassafras
I can make my signature bird call from sassafras trees.

Or fly to the top of a cottonwood
I can fly to the highest point of cottonwood trees.

And weave through the willows all day if I could
I would love to fly through willow trees all day if I could.