After graduation, he settled in
Cape Cod and began life as a farmer. Woods's first songwriting success came in 1923 with the song "I'm Goin' South", written with
Abner Silver. It became a hit song in 1924 for
Al Jolson. The same year, "Paddlin' Madelin Home" was published, with words and music by Woods. With Mort Dixon and Billy Rose, Woods composed "I Wish't I Was in Peoria", now a Dixieland jazz standard, in 1925. By 1926, Woods was an established songwriter on Tin Pan Alley and would become legendary with his new song "
When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)". The song was an instant hit for singers such as
"Whispering" Jack Smith and
Cliff Edwards. It was Al Jolson, though, who had the most success with his recording of the song. The song was recorded in 1953 by
Doris Day and again achieved considerable success. In 1929, Woods began contributing songs to Hollywood musicals such as
The Vagabond Lover, ''
A Lady's Morals, Artistic Temper
, Aunt Sally
, Twentieth Century, Road House
, Limelight
, It's Love Again
, Merry Go Round of 1938
, and She's For Me
. In 1934, he moved to London, where he lived for three years, and worked for the British film studio Gaumont British, contributing to the films Jack Ahoy and Evergreen''. While Woods usually wrote both words and music for his songs, he also collaborated with
Mort Dixon,
Al Sherman,
Howard Johnson,
Arthur Freed,
Rube Bloom,
Billy Moll and
Gus Kahn. Alone, or with his collaborators, he wrote "
I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover", "I'm Goin' South", "The Clouds Will Soon Roll By", "Just a Butterfly that's Caught in the Rain", "
Side by Side", "My Old Man", "A Little Kiss Each Morning", "Heigh-Ho, Everybody, Heigh-Ho", "Man From the South", "River Stay 'way from My Door", "
When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain", "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye", "Just an Echo in the Valley", "
Hang Out the Stars in Indiana", "A Little Street Where Old Friends Meet", "You Ought to See Sally on Sunday", "Hustlin' and Bustlin' for Baby", "
What a Little Moonlight Can Do", "
Try a Little Tenderness", "I'll Never Say 'Never Again' Again", "Over My Shoulder " "Tinkle Tinkle Tinkle " "When You've Got a Little Springtime in Your Heart", "
Midnight, the Stars and You", "I Nearly Let Love Go Slipping Through My Fingers", and many others. ==Personal life and death==