"Pete Seeger Still Singing at 87"

[Eric J in MN]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20060516/D8HL42L00.html

By MICHAEL HILL

BEACON, N.Y. (AP) - After 87 years, Pete Seeger's voice is down to a husky purr. The head once crammed with hundreds of songs can now call up, by his count, merely dozens.

He still sings and plays banjo, though.

He performs at churches, parties and - what the heck - on a ferry dock on the Hudson River during a recent interview. Commuters heading home from Manhattan look up at the lanky old man tapping his foot, plucking, and jauntily singing, "Ohhh, newspapermen meet such interesting people!"

Some stop and smile. One guy snaps shut his cell phone and shakes Seeger's hand with a hearty: "Mr. Seeger, I just want to thank you!"

Seeger has been singing out like this since the Great Depression. The earnest troubadour who either co-wrote or popularized canonical songs like "If I Had a Hammer" and "John Henry" has become something like America's folkie emeritus. He's back on the charts now, sort of, with the release of "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions," featuring Bruce Springsteen's full-throated versions of standards performed by Seeger. The classic songs not only tell good stories, Springsteen has said, but remain relevant.

"Shameful," Seeger deadpanned. "I'm so respectable."
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I recommend the Pete Seeger album "We Shall Overcome: Complete Carnegie Hall Concert."

[mdmc]

1. YES!

www.clearwater.org www.riverpool.org

Pete sang at the benefit concert to keep my church open.

[ThoughtCriminal]

2. "My Get Up and Go Has Got Up and Went"

How do I know my youth is all spent?
My get up and go has got up and went
In spite of it all, I'm able to grin
When I think of the places my get up has been

Old age is golden, I think I've heard said
But sometimes I wonder as I crawl into bed
My ears in a drawer, my teeth in a cup
My eyes on the table until I wake up

As sleep dims my vision, I say to myself
Is there anything else I should lay on the shelf?
But nations are warring and business is vexed
So I'll stick around to see what happens next

chor.

When I was younger, my slippers were red
I could kick up my heels right over my head
When I was older my slippers were blue
But still I could dance the whole night thru

Now I am old, my slippers are black
I huff to the store and I puff my way back
But never you laugh, I don't mind at all
I'd rather be huffing than not puff at all

chor.

I get up each morning and dust off my wits
Open the paper and read the obits
If I'm not there, I know I'm not dead
So I eat a good breakfast and go back to bed

words trad, melody Pete Seeger

[mdmc]

3. thanks for the lyrics

:kick:

[mdmc]

4. lounge

:kick:

[jukes]

5. K&R

living history of progressive causes...

[mdmc]

6. kick

:hi: