[Rhodes22-list] Ode to growing old. and even a song

[stan]

I always like to remind people that we sold Pete his first sailboat and got 
back a note, "The boat's a joy" and then he went on to clean up the Hudson 
River.

stan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Lou Troy" <mltroy at verizon.net>
To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2005 9:35 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Ode to growing old. and even a song


> Pete Seeger set this to music back in the 60s. He's in his 80s now and 
> while he can't sing much, I expect he's still singing this. It's on a 
> couple of his re-released albums - one from Smithsonian/Folkways and one 
> from Columbia. You can hear the tune here: 
> http://media.mudcat.org/MIDI/GETUPGO.MID  (BTW Mudcat Cafe/Digital 
> Tradition is a great source of old non-pop lyrics and tunes 
> http://www.mudcat.org/)  The words Seeger used start with a chorus and 
> have an additional verse up front:
>
> GET UP AND GO
>
> Chorus (and after each verse):
> How do I know my youth is all spent?
> My get up and go has got up and went
> But in spite of it all I'm able to grin
> And think of the places my get up has been.
>
> Old age is golden so I've heard said
> But sometimes I wonder as I crawl into bed
> With 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 though nations are warring and business is vexed
> I'll stick around to see what happens next.
>
> When I was young 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 older 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.
>
> 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 collected, adapted and set to original music by Pete Seeger (1960)
> TRO (c) 1964 (renewed) Melody Trails Inc., New York, NY
>
> Mary Lou
>
> At 01:30 AM 12/10/2005 -0600, you wrote:
>>Love it, Rummy!  Thanks.
>>Slim
>>
>>On 12/9/05 7:51 PM, "R22RumRunner at aol.com" <R22RumRunner at aol.com> wrote:
>>
>> > When I was young and my slippers were red,
>> > I could kick my feet over my head.
>> > Then I grew older and my slippers were blue,
>> > But still I could dance the whole night through.
>> > Now I am old and my slippers are black,
>> > I walk to the corner and puff my way back.
>> > The reason I know that my youth has been spent,
>> > My get up and go has got up and went.
>> > But I really don't mind, when I think with a grin,
>> > Of all the grand places my get-up has been.
>> > Since I have retired from Life's competition,
>> > I find every day an exact repetition.
>> > I get up each morn and dust off my wits,
>> > Grab for the paper and read the obits.
>> > If my name is missing, I know I'm not dead,
>> > So I eat a huge breakfast and go back to bed.
>> >
>> >
>> > Author unknown
>> > __________________________________________________
>> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>>
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