Lyr Add: My Father's Mansion (Pete Seeger)

Subject: ADD: My Father's Mansion ^^
From: Philippa
Date: 20 Jul 99 - 05:06 PM

My Father's Mansion

My father's mansion's many rooms
have room for all of his children
As long as we do share his love
and see that all are free.

And see that all are free to know,
see that all are free to grow
And free to open or to close,
the door of their own rooms.

And brothers* in each room shall have
the right to choose their own design
And colour schemes to fit their choice,
though differing from mine.

The choice is ours to share / this earth [/this website!],
with all its colour schemes abound
Or to continue as we have
And tear our mansion down.

* feel free to change the gender!
I heard the song from Pete Seeger. I think he composed it (?) ^^

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: katlaughing
Date: 20 Jul 99 - 05:29 PM

Good point, Phillipa!

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: rich r
Date: 20 Jul 99 - 08:18 PM

Song was recorded by Pete on his albums "Banks of Marble" and "Waist Deep In The Big Muddy" Here's three more verses, well actually 2 1/4 since one is very much like the first. These are verses 3, 5 and 6 as printed in Where Have All The Flowers Gone. The verses above are 1,2,4 and 7

What is a room without a door
Which sometimes locks or stands ajar?
What is a room without a wall
To keep out sight and sound from all?

Yes and each room has its own design
To suit the owner's state of mine
And those who'd want them all the same
Don't understand -- the human game.

My family's mansions many rooms
Have room for all of His children
If we do but share in His love
And see that all are free

rich r

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Zebedee
Date: 20 Feb 01 - 06:10 PM

Refresh

we could all do well to read this again

Ed

Subject: ADD: My Father's Mansion (Pete Seeger)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Feb 01 - 06:38 PM

Here is the complete song from Seeger's book. I'll send a MIDI to Mudcat MIDIs. Note the slight difference in lyrics.
-Joe Offer-

---

MY FATHER'S MANSION
(Pete Seeger)

My father's mansion has many rooms
With room for all of his children
As long as we do share his love
and see that all are free.

And see that all are free to know,
see that all are free to grow
And free to open or to close,
the door of their own room.

What is a room without a door
Which sometimes locks or stands ajar?
What is a room without a wall
To keep out sight and sound from all?

And dwellers in each room shall have
the right to choose their own design
And color schemes to fit their own,
though differing from mine.

Yes and each room has its own design
To suit the owner's state of mind
And those who'd want them all the same
Don't understand -- the human game.

My family's mansions many rooms
Have room for all of His children
If we do but share in His love
And see that all are free

The choice is ours to share this earth,
with all its many joys abound
Or to continue as we have
And burn God's mansion down.

(c) 1966, Stormking Music

Source" "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" (Pete Seeger, 1993)
In the footnote, Seeger says, "Some have urged me to change the title. They can if they wish."

(All but the first verse are sung to the melody for verse 2)

@prejudice
filename[ FATHMANS
PR RR JRO
Apr01

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Zebedee
Date: 20 Feb 01 - 06:44 PM

Thanks Joe,

If 'God' and 'Father' are taken in the broad sense that I think Seeger meant, we should all read this frequently. there are fundamental truths here.

Ed

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Feb 01 - 06:53 PM

I'll agree with that, Ed. I wonder why so many people use religion as a tool to divide and exclude others. It certainly doesn't seem to fit with "My Father's mansion has many rooms." I like what Seeger has to say in his introduction to the song in his book:

Now we recognize dozens of kinds of rooms, in order to try and make sense of our complicated 20th century life.

The first line is from John 14:2.

Such sonorities. Such rhythms. Such certainties.

George Bernard Shaw pointed out that the custom of reading the Bible is not so common in various countries as it is in English-speaking countries, because few other languages have such great translations. The committee put together at the request of King James in the early 17th century was humble: "We aim only to make an earlier translation better." they decided to be anonymous. Only scholars know their names.
They took several years for the job. Individuals took responsibilities for different sections, then brought their efforts to a subcommittee for improvements, and the larger committee for final approval. I wonder: they were all men. Did they check anything with wives, daughters, mothers? With local congregations, students? I still shake my head in wonderment. Such sonorities. Such rhythms. Such certainties. I stayed away from churches much of my life, but at various times dip into the Great Old Book.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: CamiSu
Date: 20 Feb 01 - 06:59 PM

Thank you.

Room for all, and never a closed door, with all our different ideas of God.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Snuffy
Date: 20 Feb 01 - 08:35 PM

There's the old saying that a camel is a horse designed by a commitee. That King James Bible Committee must be the exception that proves the rule. 400 years later and it still has the power to knock you sideways. Almost everything just sounds as if it couldn't be any any other way.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Jun 02 - 07:16 PM

*Refresh*

Because there are universal truths in this, that we should all perhaps (whatever our religion/or lack thereof) be reminded of from time to time....

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Ed.
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 06:20 PM

Refresh again.

I happen to think that this is one of the wisest songs ever written.

If you'd like to hear Billy Bragg and Eliza Carthy's version of the song, click here. Doing so is entirely illegal, of course...

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 06:51 PM

"...a camel is a horse designed by a commitee..."

And a camel is a great design for the sort of places and conditions where camels live, far better than a horse.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Ed.
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 07:26 PM

I'm entirely confused by your post, McGrath...

The reason I find the song so powerful, is the 'don't judge anyone, let them be as they are' message.

Or maybe you are saying that?

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 13 Jul 03 - 08:57 PM

No, I was just talking about camels, since they had crept into the thread.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 03:21 PM

Refresh again, because I'm near London and am thinking things that I shouldn't be.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 03:48 PM

Just a quick aside here: I once read something that translated as "oases" what is more commonly translated as "mansions". I can't remember where I found it- would love to read it again.

The figurative message of "In my father's house (?) are many oases" fits very well into arid climates and geographies.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Pauline L
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 04:02 PM

Thanks for refreshing this thread. It's good to be reminded of the message in this beautiful song. Pete Seeger generally took out or changed any references to "God" in his songs. I think a personal god was not his way. The metaphor is just as strong and beautiful.

I believe that the King James version of the Bible is by far the best thing ever written by a committee.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 04:04 PM

Hmm, a Hebrew translation from the Greek has it as many lodgings in my Father's house.
Oases would be wrong. To get a greater understanding of this verse it's worth bearing in mind that families tended to live together in the same house.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 04:08 PM

Le Scaramouche,

The wider, and fundamental truth is surely more important than the exact translation?

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 04:15 PM

Did I say it wasn't?
I responded Ebbie thinking it was oases.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 04:58 PM

Apologies, Le Scaramouche.

This medium is fecund for misunderstandings.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 28 Jul 05 - 05:10 PM

No offence taken.

Subject: RE: My Father's Mansion
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 29 Jul 05 - 06:21 PM

Joe (accidentally?) left out the first page of what Seeger says about this song. I think it merits inclusion. The full entry says:

[1992:] We are born in simplicity and die of complications. [This] song was an attempt to wrestle with the contradictions of the last verse of "All Mixed Up". I've sung it only a few times in my life, but it keeps coming back to me.
Once upon a time when we lived in small villages and tribes, there were only a few levels on which people lived: infancy, childhood, the men's hunting party, the women's work party.
Now there are hundreds (thousands?) of "vertical and horizontal" divisions in modern society.
Different rooms.
My wife's Virginia grandmother, a genteel daughter of the Old South, once when asked where she'd been, (she'd been sitting on the toilet) replied, "I've been talking to God."
And lovers usually close the door of the room - or the car.
Now we recognize dozens of kinds of rooms, in order to try and make sense of our complicated 20th century life.
The first line is from John 14:2.
Such sonorities. Such rhythms. Such certainties.
George Bernard Shaw pointed out that the custom of reading the Bible is not so common in various countries as it is in English-speaking countries, because few other languages have such great translations. The committee put together at the request of King James in the early 17th century was humble: "We aim only to make an earlier translation better." they decided to be anonymous. Only scholars know their names.
They took several years for the job. Individuals took responsibilities for different sections, then brought their efforts to a subcommittee for improvements, and the larger committee for final approval. I wonder: they were all men. Did they check anything with wives, daughters, mothers? With local congregations, students? I still shake my head in wonderment. Such sonorities. Such rhythms. Such certainties. I stayed away from churches much of my life, but at various times dip into the Great Old Book. (Seeger, Flowers 178)

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Father's Mansion (Pete Seeger)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 25 Aug 05 - 10:16 AM

Will someone who has an actual album please double-check the title?

According to Allmusic.com (which is usually reliable), Pete Seeger's recording is called MY FATHER'S MANSIONS (note plural) on the albums "Best of Broadside 1962-1988," "Essential Pete Seeger [Vanguard]," and "Essential Pete Seeger, Vol. 2" ... but it's called MY FATHER'S MANSION (note singular) on the tribute album "Where Have All the Flowers Gone: The Songs of Pete Seeger" (where it's sung by Billy Bragg).

"Mansions" occurs in the KJV, John 14:2: "In my Father's house are many mansions." (I think "mansion" here means something like "apartment.")

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Father's Mansion (Pete Seeger)
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 27 Aug 05 - 05:26 AM

In Pete's book 'Where Hava All the Flowers Gone' (Sing Out, 1992) the title is 'My Father's Mansion', so I suspect a misprint on the first recording which was then copied is responsible for the early plural.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: My Father's Mansion (Pete Seeger)
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 27 Aug 05 - 11:26 AM

Well a traditional Middle-Eastern house would have been split into apartments for the various families, a son would set up home with his parents.