Lyr Req: Voice of Pete Seeger (Paul Kaplan)

Subject: Lyr Req: 'Pete Seeger's Voice' by Paul Kaplan
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 27 Mar 08 - 11:26 PM

This song is a parody of "Joe Hill"

                                       SOL

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Pete Seeger's Voice' by Paul Kaplan
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 02:19 AM

Hi, Sol-
I found a Paul Kaplan Website, http://www.paulkaplanmusic.com/, but no such song is listed in his discography. Can you tell us anything more about it? I'm guessing it was on some Pete Seeger tribute album.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Pete Seeger's Voice' by Paul Kaplan
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 28 Mar 08 - 01:42 PM

Joe,
    The correct title of the song is "The Voice of Pete Seeger".

It is track #4 on a 5 song sampler CD that Paul sends out to venues in order to solicit gigs.

I do not know which album he originally recorded it on.

                                                    SOL

Subject: Lyr Add: THE PETE SEEGER SONG (Karen James)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Apr 08 - 02:08 AM

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-

Subject: ADD: The Voice of Pete (Paul Kaplan)
From: GUEST,Paul Kaplan
Date: 10 Dec 08 - 09:32 PM

I just found this thread. Please feel free to write to me via my website and I'll write back.

The song is called "The Voice of Pete" and is indeed based on "Joe Hill." I use Pete's guitar tuning, dropped D.

My website http://www.paulkaplanmusic.com now has my new CD "The Folk Process" pictured on the home page. Clicking on the picture brings you to the CD Baby page, with all relevant information and samples. Songs include all my Digital Traditions songs: "Call Me the Whale," "Henry the Accountant" and "I Had an Old Coat"; there are a total of 14 folk processed songs.

Lyrics to "The Voice of Pete" follow.

THE VOICE OF PETE
(Paul Kaplan)

1. I dreamed I heard the voice of Pete singing strong and free
Says I, "But Pete, you lost your voice," "It never died," said he
"It never died," said he.

2. You used it up at concert halls, and all those picket lines
Says Pete, "I lost my vocal cords, my voice is doing fine
My voice is doing fine.

3. "Though some would say my voice has died, it's never been as strong
As when it comes back amplified by those who sing along
By those who sing along.

4. "For I am like the shantyman who stands before the gale
And helps us pull together so we all can raise the sail
We all can raise the sail.

5. And just before my dream was o'er he left me with these words
"When what you sing comes from the heart you always will be heard
You always will be heard."

RePete first verse.

Words: Paul Kaplan; Music: Earl Robinson ("Joe Hill")

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voice of Pete Seeger (Paul Kaplan)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Dec 08 - 07:40 PM

Nice song there. I wouldn't ever call it "a parody" though - it's a new song drawing on an old song, and linking hands with it, so to speak.

Parodies have to have an element of mockery, and that's the last thing this one has.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voice of Pete Seeger (Paul Kaplan)
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 11 Dec 08 - 11:07 PM

3. "Though some would say my voice has died, it's never been as strong
As when it comes back amplified by those who sing along
By those who sing along.

YES!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voice of Pete Seeger (Paul Kaplan)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 04:14 PM

Thanks for stopping by, Paul - and thanks for this wonderful song!
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voice of Pete Seeger (Paul Kaplan)
From: PoppaGator
Date: 12 Dec 08 - 04:32 PM

"I hope she didn't try to make a living as a songwriter."

Ouch, Joe! That's the kind of thing I often think to myself but try not to express out loud or in writing.

No such comment for Mr Kaplan, though; he seems to be the real deal as a songwriter...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voice of Pete Seeger (Paul Kaplan)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Dec 08 - 12:43 PM

I hope no one gets the impression from this song that Pete Seeger literally can no longer sing, which is definitely not true. As recently as September 2008 he appeared on David Letterman's TV show and sang TAKE IT FROM DR. KING (which does seem odd, because it's not on his most recent album, "At 89" which was being promoted that night).

His voice, while not as strong as it once was, was certainly adequate for a public performance.

There is a video of that performance at YouTube.