04 "Sweet Betsy From Pike"

A humorous performance of "Sweet Betsy From Pike," performed on the 6-string banjo. Learned as a child, probably from a collection of children's ep 45's my brothers and I memorized (including the masterpiece: "Pecans and peanuts/and Pecans and peanuts/and Pecans and peanuts/and there is nothing more/That I have to buy from the grocery store!" as sung by the squirrel) but also heard "Sweet Betsy" from the playing of Pete Seeger and others.

This is Video #4 from the musical lecture "Songs of the West" by Tim McMullen: A folk music odyssey, presenting story songs, work songs, travel songs, love songs, protest songs, and comedy songs performed on the 6-string and 12-string guitar, 6-string banjo, mountain dulcimer, harmonica, and a cappella, culled from the playing of Patrick Sky; Pete Seeger, Mike Nesmith, The Smothers Brothers; Woody Guthrie; Koerner, Ray, and Glover; Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly); Biff Rose, Mark Spoelstra; Gene Autry; The Firesign Theatre; Ramblin' Jack Elliott; Tom Paxton; and Pat Paulsen. The text for many of the songs began with THE SONGS OF MAN by Norman Luboff and Win Stracke published in 1965. Variations from the aforementioned performers were included in new arrangements by Tim McMullen.

Recorded in 1993, this historical, folk music lecture was created by Tim McMullen in 1980 and performed annually for his American Studies Junior Honors English/Social Studies Team class at El Rancho HIgh School in Pico Rivera. It was performed each year as the class completed Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.This lecture is a companion to the Woody Guthrie "Grapes of Wrath/Dust Bowl" musical lecture found at http://www.youtube.com/TimMcMullen and on the lyrics pages of Manfred Helfert's Woody Guthrie site at http://www.woodyguthrie.de/lyrics.html.

Tim McMullen, ©1993, 2007 All Rights Reserved

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tim
• McMullen
• six-string
• Banjo
• flat-pick
• strum
• humor
• Sweet
• Betsy
• Pike
• women
• feminism

[60srad]

Cool song but, like, what I really came here for was to hear the squirrel confusing the kid who memorized his shopping list by repeating "peanuts and pecans"!

[TimMcMullen]

"Pecans and peanuts,

and pecans and peanuts,

and pecans and peanuts...

and there is nothing more

that I have to buy at the grocery store."

Tim

[LarryCebula]

"Lover" at that time often meant newlyweds.

Great performance otherwise!

[TimMcMullen]

Good point and historically accurate, although "lover" was also used for unmarried liasons (even those who had not consummated their affair). Notice at the end of this version, after they arrive in California, they "got married"... and then got a divorce, so my interpretation may be justified, but I really just made the aside for comedic effect. Thanks for listening and thanks for the comment.

[silverstartrucker]

Just sing the damn song will you...

[xenafan234]

Sweet memories of my mother washing dishes and sining Sweet Betsy from Pike

[johnhguitar]

Why? Is it because this is music that you're not familiar with? America has an enormous history of classic folk music that previous generations have enjoyed before there was electricity. People have always enjoyed music. Once something is good it's always good.

[TimMcMullen]

Besides, it gave me a chance to see your site. Lots of fun and informative vids.

I spent many a joyful summer of my youth in Laguna. In fact, my song, "Goodbye, Pullman, Lullabye" found on my MySpace site, was written while laying on the beach at Crescent Bay. The lyrics were pretty much completed by the time I got back up to the house on St. Ann's and found myself a tune for it.

From one teacher to another, thanks,

Tim

[TimMcMullen]

Hey, John, thanks for the defense. Occasionally, I respond to the negatives. I had one guy who would trash my videos and then go on a rampage and rate a whole pile of my videos with ones (kinda' hurts the average...) but most of these inane comments, from thirteen year olds and such, I let them slide. As I said, though, I do appreciate it when someone else engages the trash talkers.

[johnhguitar]

you're stupid

[spookyben]

Great song, painful performance, espescially after interminable intro.

written in Placerville