words & music  by Peggy Seeger © 2013

Peggy writes: "I've always marveled at Pete's ability to get people to sing  together.  This song, made for his 94th birthday, was recorded with my son Neill & his sweetie, Kate,  is a bit of an extrapolation on that skill  of his.  I do hope he likes it - but whatever his reaction, I'm sure he  will join in on the chorus. Happy birthday, Pete!"

vocals, piano, banjo: Peggy Seeger
oboe, vocals: Kate St. John
bass, vocals: Neill MacColl

recorded by  Neill MacColl

Lyrics:

A bunch of rocks, sittin’ on a hill
Doing what rocks do, sittin’ still
On a stone nearby there’s a lanky man
With a longneck banjo in his hand
Now normally rocks don’t do a thing
But one by one they begin to sing

     Chorus:
     It’s Pete, It’s Pete
     Strummin' his banjo, stampin' his feet
     That lanky man goes down your street,
     What do ya know, you’re singing

Now down in the cemetery folks don’t move
They just lie there in their groove
Sittin’ under a tree there’s a lanky man
With a longneck banjo in his hand
Now normally dead folks don’t say a thing
But ghostily the voices begin to sing

     (Chorus)

There’s a place nearby not far from here
Where folks can’t talk and folks cant hear
Here he comes that lanky man
With a longneck banjo in his hand
Like an angel choir, like birds on the wing
All these folks begin to sing

     (Chorus)

Raise your voice, loud and sweet
Feel that rhythm and tap your feet
Turn, turn hear the banjo ring
The whole wide world begins to sing
Saint Peter will smile when Pete comes along
And God himself'll sing those songs

     (Chorus)

"It's Pete" by Peggy Seeger

Mark is the editor and executive director at Sing Out!

Mark D. Moss