The great Pete Seeger has died. A popularizer of folk music from all over the world, and a troubadour for civil rights, workers equity, and the environment, he was 94.
Back in 1990, Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie, produced a double album, and one of the songs on it was written by Pete, with lyrics by Lee Hays, who was one of the members of the The Weavers folk group, and who also wrote "If I Had a Hammer," and "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine."
The song is entitled In Dead Earnest. Lyrics below:
The song is entitled In Dead Earnest. Lyrics below:
In Dead Earnest
If I should die before I wake
All my bone and sinew take
Put them in the compost pile
To decompose a little while
Sun, rain and worms will have their way
Reducing me to common clay
All that I am will feed the trees
And little fishes in the seas
When corn and radishes you munch
You may be having me for lunch
Then excrete me with a grin
Chortling, There goes Lee again
'Twill be my happiest destiny
To die and live eternally
- by Lee Hays, 1981. Lee died August 26 of that same year..
2 comments:
When I was a little girl, my mom turned me on to Pete Seeger with his Children's Concert album. Henry My Son was, in my 8-year-old opinion, probably the most important piece of music ever recorded.
I immediately dumped my previous folkie fave, Burl Ives, and became everything Pete Seeger, where I stayed for the rest of my life.
Little did I know, my gentle, well trained, suburban mother was a subversive.
I've often said that when I die, just throw me in the compost.
RIP Mr Seeger
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