I've been browsing through old Folkways albums, and I came across this one. Not the Paul Kaplan song, but interesting. It's from a Folkways album called Karen James, (by Karen James, 1961). It isn't the best song on the album, but I appreciate the sentiment.

THE PETE SEEGER SONG
(Karen James)

Gather round children, I'm going to tell you a story
One man's pride, his pride and his glory,
Pete Seeger, an American.

The way that I tell it won't take much time
What was Mr. Seeger' a incredible crime?
The judge says he's un-American.

CHORUS:
Hey, Pete hey! What do you say?
The judge wants to send you far, far away?
Hey, Pete hey! Here's what we say.
We're behind Pete Seeger all the way.

One thing Hr. Seeger finds very ominous
Is the way the Powers seem to plan on bombin' us
After all, he's a family man.

These ban-the-bomb ballads they tell me you sing
Now they sound to this court like they're might left-wing
And left-wing is un-American.
(CHORUS)

Left-wing they tell me smack of Socialism
And socialism they tell me is the same as communism
And any "ism" is un-American

Judge says to Pete, "Well, what do you say?
Who were your friends? What did they say?
And were they un-American?
(CHORUS)

Judge says to Pete "Better make a full report,
Otherwise I'll have to hold you in contempt of this court
And Contempt of Court is un-American."

Pete says to the judge "I'm sorry to retort
There's a little thing I'll have to show you in this court,
That's how to be a free American.
(CHORUS)

He came to hear his sentence, he was carrying a banjo
He asked to play a tune, but the judge, he says "Oh no,
That would be un-American."

And that folks is just about the end of ny story
Never mind, Pete Seeger, we'll carry on your glory
We'll sing it out just as loud as we can.
(CHORUS)


Anybody know anything about Karen James? She did two albums for Folkways. I hope she didn't try to make a living as a songwriter.

Oh, and does anybody have the lyrics Sol requested?

-Joe-