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Lyr Add: Rock and the Egg (Faith Petric)

04 Jun 98 - 01:50 PM (#30051)
Subject: LYR ADD: Rock and the Egg
From: Barbara

As far as I know, this song was written by a west coast folkie named Ed Bronstein, who wrote under the nom d'plume of Biggs Tinker.
His chorus tune is similar to Aura Lee (as it is attributed in the Spring 98 update, but it also has verses.
This song is also on Faith Petric's 1979 Album (along with Take Your Time You Lovely Old Man).
Ed's first verse is:
    There is an old saying
    It is very wise
    You can see the truth of it
    Right before your eyes

    Chorus:
    If a rock falls on an egg,
    Too bad, too bad for the egg
    If an egg falls on a rock
    Too bad for the egg.
Ill have to play it or find my song book for the rest of the lyrics. Will post them later.
Barbara

18 Mar 07 - 03:20 PM (#2000422)
Subject: RE: LYR ADD: Rock and the Egg
From: Jim Dixon

Refreshing a very old thread here.

Looks like Barbara never made it back to finish the song.

Anyway, I think I've heard a recording of Malvina Reynolds singing this song. The tune she used didn't sound like Aura Lee, though. I assumed Malvina wrote it, but I can't find any confirmation of that. Maybe these are two different songs based on the same proverb? Anybody know?

18 Mar 07 - 04:04 PM (#2000463)
Subject: Lyr Add: THE ROCK AND THE EGG (Faith Petric)
From: Jim Dixon

I was mistaken about Malvina Reynolds. Maybe Faith Petric's voice just sounded like Malvina Reynolds' to me.

I've heard this song several times on Minnesota Public Radio, and I transcribed the lyrics below from one of their archived programs, from Dec. 6, 2004. You can see the playlist and play the sound file here. The song begins 1 hour, 14 minutes and 50 seconds from the beginning of the file.

THE ROCK AND THE EGG
Faith Petric

1. There is an old saying. It is very wise.
You can see the truth of it right before your eyes:

CHORUS: If a rock falls on an egg,
Too bad, too bad for the egg.
If an egg falls on a rock,
Too bad for the egg.

2. People they are different. Various paths they walk.
Some are fragile like an egg. Some are hard like rock. CHORUS.

3. The rock it is not broken, and is most insolent.
Must be nice to be a rock for it is evident
That ... CHORUS.

4. But the rock can never triumph. The egg it dare not mock.
For if the egg is shattered, then splattered is the rock.
Oh, ... CHORUS.

[The tune still doesn't sound like AURA LEE to me, though.]