Quite Early Morning

Just wanted to post a quick drawing of a Pete Seeger quote that I did on the island last week. Serendipitously, it's the same song that he sung on Colbert recently. I was blown away that he sang the same song that I had just drawn in my notebook. Ollie says things like that happen all the time. I'm not so sure. If they did happen all the time, I would die of awe and exasperation.

This is my favorite quote of the song, but the whole thing is pretty beautiful. Here are the lyrics along with my favorite video version of him playing it:

Don't you know it's darkest before the dawn
And it's this thought keeps me moving on
If we could heed these early warnings
The time is now quite early morning
If we could heed these early warnings
The time is now quite early morning

Some say that humankind won't long endure
But what makes them so doggone sure?
I know that you who hear my singing
Could make those freedom bells go ringing
I know that you who hear my singing
Could make those freedom bells go ringing

And so keep on while we live
Until we have no, no more to give
And when these fingers can strum no longer
Hand the old banjo to young ones stronger
And when these fingers can strum no longer
Hand the old banjo to young ones stronger

So though it's darkest before the dawn
These thoughts keep us moving on
Through all this world of joy and sorrow
We still can have singing tomorrows
Through all this world of joy and sorrow
We still can have singing tomorrows



My ACTUAL favorite version of this song is when he sang it live at Carnegie Hall with Arlo Guthrie. He gave a little explanation as to how he came to write the song, and how he came to steal the tune from Woody Guthrie. Alas, I can't find that version online so if you're lucky enough to have that on vinyl, I recommend putting it on, dropping the needle and turning it up!