Origins: Song about Pete Seeger

Subject: Origins: Song about Pete Seeger
From: GUEST,celtaddict
Date: 29 May 20 - 05:22 PM

I heard a song on NPR today when they were playing bits of archived shows. It had multiple verses about different activities of Pete Seeger, and had a refrain 'Round and round, go Pete go, round and round I say, planting seeds and fighting wrongs until your dying day' and something more about tis the season, get your hammer, show them what we've learned. I was driving and did not get more of it down, and had just switched to the channel when it was already underway; after it the show hostess (on, I think, 1A) said a name but I did not catch it. Does anyone know what and who this might have been?

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about Pete Seeger
From: GUEST
Date: 29 May 20 - 05:38 PM

I found it. It is on MoockMusic, by Alastair Moock, called Grab Your Hammer.

Subject: ADD: Go Pete Go (Alastair Moock)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 May 20 - 06:18 PM

It uses the tune of "Old Joe Clark."

GO PETE GO
Music & Lyrics by Alastair Moock ©2020 Moockshake Music
lyrics

‘Ol Pete Seeger was a man, a banjo in his hand
He spread his messages of justice all throughout the land
‘Ol Pete Seeger fought for fairness, peace, and civil rights
For working folks of every color, brown and black and white

Chorus:
Round and round, go Pete go, round and round I say
Planting seeds, fighting wrong until your dying day
Round and round, we’re up next, time to take our turn
‘Tis the season, grab your hammer, show ‘em what we’ve learned

‘Ol Pete Seeger went to Harvard for a couple years
But he dropped out and rode the rails, still wet behind the ears
He studied in the migrant camps and down inside the mines
He struck and stood for stronger unions on that picket line

Half Chorus:
Round and round, go Pete go, round and round I say
Planting seeds, fighting wrong until your dying day

‘Ol Pete Seeger sang a song, from labor rights it come
He helped to shape and turn it into “We Shall Overcome”
‘Ol Pete Seeger sang another that’s a real fine jammer
He and Lee Hayes wrote and called it “If I Had a Hammer”

Chorus

‘Ol Pete Seeger had a wife, Toshi was her name
Toshi worked as hard as Pete and kept him on his game
Toshi stood with Pete in Congress, 1955
He wouldn’t name no names or plead the fifth ‘gainst all advice

Half Chorus

‘Ol Pete Seeger was blacklisted all throughout the fifties
But ‘Ol Pete still found ways to play because ‘Ol Pete was sneaky
Pete would go to schools and sing for kids of every age
Inspired them to join the fight, some even took the stage

Chorus

‘Ol Pete Seeger stood against the war in Vietnam
He didn’t think we should’ve sent them soldiers to Saigon
He sang, “Lay down your sword and shield, no more war you’ll study”
He went on the TV, sang, “We’re waist deep in the big muddy”

Half Chorus

‘Ol Pete Seeger saw pollution up and down the Hudson
His solution was to oversee a boat’s construction
Pete and others sailed that boat, they sang and gathered cash
They helped to clean the river up by getting new laws passed

Chorus

‘Ol Pete Seeger marched with Martin, stood with Cesar Chavez
Rode with Woody, mentored Dylan, Springsteen, and Joan Baez
‘Ol Pete Seeger sang and fought ‘til he was 94
There’s never been another like him, since then or before

Chorus
credits
from Be a Pain: An Album for Young (and Old) Leaders, released April 3, 2020

https://alastairmoock.bandcamp.com/track/go-pete-go-grab-your-hammer

Subject: RE: Origins: Song about Pete Seeger
From: EBarnacle
Date: 30 May 20 - 12:10 AM

If anyone knows this guy, he should be told that Toshi was not pronounced Tahshi. She was important to us all and should be properly respected.
Otherwise, not a bad song.