You can shed tears that he is gone Or you can smile because he has lived You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left Your heart can be empty because you can't see him Or you can be full of the love that you shared You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday You can remember him and only that he is gone Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
So Pete never threw away food scraps, never drove a car, and never watched television. Ok. Typical communism, point the finger at everyone else and scold them for doing the same bullshit you do a thousand times worse. Hypocrisy to the nth degree.
I work at Warren Wilson college... I'm on the recycling crew... Its a work school... You bet your ass I'm thinking of this song when I'm going through every bag of trash..
Stories like that are fairly rare. There are millions of stories that are the complete opposite of that. Those people just usually don't get to write books or get shown in the media.
I well understand what Pete Seeger was trying to say, yet what is to be done with the garbage? Most all want their garbage hauled off, yet no one wants a landfill in their community.
The song was powerful enough before Pete added the final verse, and pushed it over the top. But as my hot rodding buddies would say, "If more is better, then too much, is just enough." ...and maybe, that's what it will take to get the message across.
The sad thing: from the perspective of the 20-teens 'Mr Thompson' seems to be living a fairly balanced, sustainable life -- the kids just have 'the tv in one ear' but no cell phone, ipod, ipad, and Mr. Thompson himself isn't on a blackberry while driving his (pre-SUV) Cadillac.
There really is a lot of garbage like on these cupcakes you buy at the store for holidays each one has a plastic ring poked on top a real piece of junk that probably 90 percent of them end up in the garbage. Just an example
You really need to inform yourself. Poor people do not do better on capitalism. Capitalism in general INCREASES inequality and makes it harder for the poor to live, unless you have very strong govt policies to distribute wealth more equally, give employees more rights, limit exploitation, etc (say Canada and several European countries). Do you really think a company that wants only to profit more and more would want to give benefits to their workers if not mandatory? That reduces profit!
@Izol0 So spedning trillions we don't have on Obamacare is supposed to prevent a depression and help unsustainable social programs? Taxing energy to the point it in not affordable is supposed to is supposed to "re-industrialize" the USA?? Free trade benefits all nations involved. Learn some econimics not taught by the AFL-CIO.
Boy-when you listen to that last verse you would almost think he knew what America would be like under Barack Obama. Bailous, stimulus, and government takeover of so much of the economy.
I am informed. Capitalism has raised billions from poverty. "Inequality" is not really an issue as everybody does better. There are some greedy people who think this is bad just because they don't get to drive a Cadillac while at the same time the refuse to work (eg: The Occupy Wall Street movement.) Show me a capitalist country and I will show you one with high or increasing livign standards, show me a country with "equality" and i will show you a country where most are in poverty
I would sing this with my 6th graders. Pete's honesty and belief in a better world lives on.
This is the most moving song I've ever beheld. Thank you for your service to mankind Pete Seeger.
You can shed tears that he is gone
Or you can smile because he has lived
You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him
Or you can be full of the love that you shared
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday
You can remember him and only that he is gone
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what he would want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
St. Pete
There's no singer LIKE PETE! KEEP SINGING FOR US MAN!!
This song is as relevant as when Pete started singing it some 40 years ago.
Write to >joe@joestead.com
It is much more relevant.
Hey, that's what I said but....you said it first ☺️
So Pete never threw away food scraps, never drove a car, and never watched television. Ok. Typical communism, point the finger at everyone else and scold them for doing the same bullshit you do a thousand times worse. Hypocrisy to the nth degree.
@@Terribleathletes do you even know what communism is? this is just common sense...
This is the next level, ageless and really hits it home. 🙁
I remember hearing this song 40 + years ago and it's still as relevant today
Even more so.
I grew up listening to Pete More relevant than EVER!!
my elementary music teacher used to sing this to usand and I didnt understand at the time
but i do now
"Their kids will read in history books. About financiers and other crooks...."
How timely.
Given today's world, Pete Seeger was a prophet!
I've been listening to Seeger songs for the last hour or so, and this is my favorite so far.
Gegen diesen grossartigen Liedtext sind heutige Texte genau das: garbage. WOW
I work at Warren Wilson college... I'm on the recycling crew... Its a work school... You bet your ass I'm thinking of this song when I'm going through every bag of trash..
The refrain plays in my head every week when I take out the garbage.
filling up the seas with garbage...so true!
HERO
FEELING IT!!!
I correct myself Misfortune. Pete You Are So Right On. Thankyou for all of your knowledge through your songs and comments over the years.
Write to >joe@joestead.com
thank you for posting this --this is great
I had this on a Sesame st record.
(c)1969 by William Steele
Lead sheet freely available from Broadside Magazine Issue 102 page 8
singout.org/broadside/issues-p5/
Stories like that are fairly rare. There are millions of stories that are the complete opposite of that. Those people just usually don't get to write books or get shown in the media.
You Go Pete!
so pertinent and from 50/60 years ago, when will it end?
The genius of
cool song, thanks
i love this song... listening in 2018... my friends say i need help
Pete.
You were a fortune teller when you wrote this song.
I well understand what Pete Seeger was trying to say, yet what is to be done with the garbage? Most all want their garbage hauled off, yet no one wants a landfill in their community.
The song was powerful enough before Pete added the final verse, and pushed it over the top. But as my hot rodding buddies would say, "If more is better, then too much, is just enough." ...and maybe, that's what it will take to get the message across.
2020 anyone
Lulz like most beautiful music evar?!
The sad thing: from the perspective of the 20-teens 'Mr Thompson' seems to be living a fairly balanced, sustainable life -- the kids just have 'the tv in one ear' but no cell phone, ipod, ipad, and Mr. Thompson himself isn't on a blackberry while driving his (pre-SUV) Cadillac.
There really is a lot of garbage like on these cupcakes you buy at the store for holidays each one has a plastic ring poked on top a real piece of junk that probably 90 percent of them end up in the garbage. Just an example
@Srd1126 I see you found a use for all the garbage- you stuffed it into your comments.
@Srd1126 tell that to the auto workers in Mexico who make 2 dollars an hour
Potato skin, coffee grounds? Isn't that a great compost?
You really need to inform yourself. Poor people do not do better on capitalism. Capitalism in general INCREASES inequality and makes it harder for the poor to live, unless you have very strong govt policies to distribute wealth more equally, give employees more rights, limit exploitation, etc (say Canada and several European countries). Do you really think a company that wants only to profit more and more would want to give benefits to their workers if not mandatory? That reduces profit!
I'd suggest you look at all the companies that have raised wages and benefits to get the better workers. MAGA!
Green and red DO go together!
@Izol0 So spedning trillions we don't have on Obamacare is supposed to prevent a depression and help unsustainable social programs? Taxing energy to the point it in not affordable is supposed to is supposed to "re-industrialize" the USA?? Free trade benefits all nations involved. Learn some econimics not taught by the AFL-CIO.
Garbage, Garbage, Garbage.... :)
you can burn the garbage are if you are a greenie recycle
Is he purposefully trying to look like lenin ?
Boy-when you listen to that last verse you would almost think he knew what America would be like under Barack Obama. Bailous, stimulus, and government takeover of so much of the economy.
I am informed. Capitalism has raised billions from poverty. "Inequality" is not really an issue as everybody does better. There are some greedy people who think this is bad just because they don't get to drive a Cadillac while at the same time the refuse to work (eg: The Occupy Wall Street movement.) Show me a capitalist country and I will show you one with high or increasing livign standards, show me a country with "equality" and i will show you a country where most are in poverty