(synthesizer music) - Announcer 1] Produced in Athens at the Ohio University Telecommunications Center.

- [Announcer 2] The following program was produced in part through a grant from the Ohio Educational Broadcasting Network Commission and through a grant from the Ohio Arts Council.

(guitar music) - [Announcer 3] From Athens, Ohio Ramblin' with Odetta.

- I'm very happy to be with you.

My name is Odetta.

I hope you enjoy.

(soft guitar music) ♪ He's got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the great big world ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the whole world in His hand ♪ ♪ He got the stars and the moon ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the wind and the rain, all right ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the stars and the moon ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hands ♪ ♪ He got the gamblin' man ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the lyin' man ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the crap shootin' man ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ Got the little bitty babies ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ Got the little bitty babies ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the little bitty babies ♪ ♪ In his hand ♪ ♪ He got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got you and me, brother ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got you and me, sister ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got you and me, brother ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hands ♪ ♪ I need God and the Father ♪ ♪ In His hands ♪ ♪ God and the Father ♪ ♪ In His hands ♪ ♪ He got everybody here, right ♪ ♪ In His hands ♪ ♪ He got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hands ♪ ♪ He's got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the whole big world right ♪ ♪ In His hand ♪ ♪ He got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hands ♪ ♪ He got the whole world ♪ ♪ In His hands ♪ (guitar music) (audience claps) A few years ago, I was asked to participate in a voter registration drive and through the ether came this next song, and I sang it at the voter registration drive.

In those days my guy didn't win either.

(audience laughs) (Odetta tunes guitar) This is gonna be very interesting four years.

I figured that at least the endangered species called liberal will have something to talk about the next presidential election.

So, I'm insisting upon this whole next four years being a positive, one way or the other.

Whatever, we should not give up our space in this country, with letters, with telephone calls and with voting.

♪ Any way you make it, baby ♪ ♪ Keep on moving on ♪ ♪ Any way you make it, baby ♪ ♪ Won't you keep on moving it on ♪ ♪ If you can't fly, run ♪ ♪ If you can't run, walk ♪ ♪ If you can't walk, crawl ♪ ♪ Any way you make it, baby ♪ ♪ You keep on moving it on ♪ ♪ Any way you can make it, baby ♪ ♪ Keep on moving it on ♪ ♪ My country 'tis for me ♪ ♪ I move to right the wrong ♪ ♪ Ain't much that can be changed ♪ ♪ Sittin' down singing my songs ♪ ♪ I sing to find the spirit ♪ ♪ Keep Him up right and strong ♪ ♪ Any way you make it, baby ♪ ♪ Won't you keep on moving it on ♪ ♪ Any old way you make it, baby ♪ ♪ Keep on moving it on.

♪ ♪ And if you can't fly, run ♪ ♪ To the folks ♪ ♪ Tell 'em, this, too, is your nation ♪ ♪ If you can't run, walk ♪ ♪ And then there won't be no resignation ♪ ♪ Can't walk, crawl ♪ ♪ To the poll ♪ ♪ Vote your determination ♪ ♪ Any way you make it, baby ♪ ♪ Won't you keep on moving it on ♪ ♪ Any old way you can make it, baby ♪ ♪ Keep on moving it on ♪ ♪ And if you can't fly, run ♪ ♪ If you can't run, walk ♪ ♪ And if you can't walk, crawl ♪ ♪ Any way you make it, baby ♪ ♪ You keep on moving it on ♪ ♪ Any old way you can make it, baby ♪ ♪ Keep on ♪ ♪ Moving it on ♪ ♪ Keep on moving it on ♪ (audience cheers and claps) - [Odetta] Well, it seems that all my life I was headed towards music.

I pretended at playing the piano before we left Alabama, And that was at the age of six.

And my great aunt, my aunt always developed a headache at that time.

Out in California, remember, I've always been something of a scavenger.

And I remember finding a music book and an old pencil that was really short, short lead.

And I wrote in the book, I was pretending to write music.

So, I was always headed towards the music.

Now I'm one of the fortunate ones in that you can be headed towards it, and it not work out for you at all, but I've been lucky as well.

When I was, my mother caught me playing by ear my sister's piano lessons, and then scraped a few more pennies together to give me piano lessons.

And then, years later, it was a piano teacher.

We were waiting for her to come over to the house and we were seeing how high we could sing, this friend of mine and myself.

And then, the piano teacher came in and instantly became a voice teacher, started giving me voice lessons, and it was the highest soprano, the coloratura soprano.

And we would give, she would give recitals in churches and black churches.

And I get up and start doing my hoopin' and hollerin' way up at the top of the piano there and would always wake the minister up.

(Odetta laughs) He's gonna have a little nap during this recital, right?

'Cause he was just obligated to be there, I guess.

And then it was told to my mother that little girls voices change as little boys voices do, and it would be best to wait until after I was 13 to start studying.

After I was 13, I really got serious.

Started studying classical voice, and was really quite a snob.

Now, when I was growing up, I was growing up at the end of the big band era.

We had the classical pop ballads on the radio.

We had rhythm and blues on the radio.

Every Saturday was like spring cleaning in my mother's house, and my sister and I did it.

But when the Metropolitan Opera came on the radio, I could stop, sit in front of the radio, listen to the whole opera, then get up and get on with the work.

Then in the nighttime, on Saturday nights, my father would insist upon listening to the Grand Ole Opry.

Well, as I say, I was a snob and if it wasn't classical, it wasn't.

And I hated that thing.

I hated that stuff.

Well, as the years went on, and I picked up the guitar and started going into folk music, it's amazing how much I remembered of what I heard of this thing that I thought I hated called the Grand Ole Opry.

(guitar music) ♪ You're not a dream ♪ ♪ You're not an angel ♪ ♪ You're a man ♪ ♪ And I'm not a queen ♪ ♪ I'm a woman ♪ ♪ Take my hand ♪ ♪ We'll make a space ♪ ♪ In the lives that we have planned ♪ ♪ And here we'll stay ♪ ♪ Until it's time ♪ ♪ For you to go ♪ ♪ Yes, we're different ♪ ♪ We're worlds apart ♪ ♪ We're not the same ♪ ♪ We laugh, we play at the start ♪ ♪ Like in some game ♪ ♪ You could have stayed outside of my heart ♪ ♪ But here you came ♪ ♪ And here we'll stay ♪ ♪ Until it's time ♪ ♪ For you to go ♪ ♪ Don't ask why ♪ ♪ Don't ask how ♪ ♪ Don't ask forever ♪ ♪ Love me, love me now ♪ ♪ This love of mine ♪ ♪ Had no beginning ♪ ♪ It has no end ♪ ♪ I was an oak ♪ ♪ Now, I'm a willow ♪ ♪ Look, I can bend ♪ ♪ Though I'll never, in my life ♪ ♪ See you again ♪ ♪ Still I'll stay ♪ ♪ Until it's time ♪ ♪ For you to go ♪ ♪ Don't ask why of me ♪ ♪ Don't ask how of me ♪ ♪ Don't ask forever of me ♪ ♪ Love me, love me now ♪ ♪ You're not a dream.

♪ ♪ You're not an angel ♪ ♪ You're a man ♪ ♪ And I'm not a queen ♪ ♪ I'm a woman ♪ ♪ Take my hand ♪ ♪ We'll make a space ♪ ♪ In the lives that we have planned ♪ ♪ And here we'll stay ♪ ♪ 'Til it's time ♪ ♪ For you to go ♪ ♪ You ♪ ♪ Will stay ♪ ♪ Until it's time ♪ ♪ For you to go ♪ (audience claps) (Odetta tunes up guitar) This is the first song I wrote.

(guitar music) I learned an awful lot from listening to songs that were recorded out in the fields, from prison songs.

I even learned about singing from those songs.

Sometimes people ask me why do you sing?

What's with prison songs?

(guitar music) Well, we are all in one kinda prison or another.

(guitar music) ♪ Look over there ♪ ♪ Ain't that the sun coming up ♪ ♪ Way over there ♪ ♪ Ain't that the sun coming up ♪ ♪ It look like trouble ♪ ♪ Lookin' like it's runnin' over my cup ♪ ♪ Now, honey ♪ ♪ Whatcha doin' over there ♪ ♪ Honey, ♪ ♪ Whatcha doin' over there ♪ ♪ Don't you know I need ♪ ♪ Can't you see I need ♪ ♪ Somebody to care ♪ ♪ Can't you see ♪ ♪ Mmm ♪ ♪ Mmm ♪ (guitar music) ♪ Look over there ♪ ♪ Ain't there the sun coming up ♪ ♪ Yeah, look over there ♪ ♪ Please, ah, that's the sun coming up ♪ ♪ It may look like trouble, I swear ♪ ♪ And it look like it's runnin' over my cup ♪ ♪ A long time at prison ♪ ♪ I want real bad ♪ ♪ A long time at prison ♪ ♪ A man feel bad ♪ ♪ You can't get a letter ♪ ♪ Can't get a letter from home ♪ ♪ Been a long- ♪ ♪ Time ♪ (audience claps) I've always been fortunate in my life, around the music, but my mother couldn't pay for my lessons anymore.

She found a sponsor for me, Harry Burnett, at the Turnabout Theater in Hollywood, there was a puppet theater and a stage theater.

And Elsa Lancaster was in it.

I met Charles Laughton around there, and it was four walls just covered with names of stars.

And of course, my sister and I were enamored of that.

And Harry sponsored my lessons until I got out of high school and started working, and I could get it myself.

And then I went into a summer production at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles of Finian's Rainbow.

And they had, for Finian's Rainbow, what they had tried out all kinds of harmonica players.

And they finally had to just call New York, and get and get Brownie McGee, Sonny Terry, and they brought Sonny Terry out.

And there was this huge rehearsal hall at the bottom of the Greek Theater, And the conductor told all of us in the cast, you may as well stand or sit and listen to this band play 'cause you're not going to be able to do anything.

And he started playing, and it was the most incredible thing I'd ever heard in my life.

And it's really, it's kinda interesting how the people of the folk or folk music I touched and brushed every once in a while before I really got into it.

So the second summer, they had two companies, one company in San Francisco, one in Los Angeles, we exchange places.

So, I was off into San Francisco at the age of 19, sophisticated and away from home the first time, and was terribly homesick.

And we were doing Finian's Rainbow and Jo Mapes, now, I went to junior high school with Jo Mapes, and she and her husband found me, came by, took me over to a place called Vesuvius, first place I'd ever seen with sawdust on the floor.

I happened to be one of the last of the Bohemians, (Odetta laughs) grew up in that age.

I heard folk music at that time.

I went back to Los Angeles.

And it's strange when you start getting interested in something, you start meeting people who are interested in that same thing.

And I met a woman who had a guitar strung with barbed wire, and she showed me C and the easy F and G. And I just went into it as a hobby.

And about a year later, I went back to visit Jo Mapes and her daughter, my godsdaughter, and Jo Mapes took me by the Hungry Eye and went to Enrico Van Dutchie and said that there was a concert singer here on tour, and maybe I would sing for them.

And I wasn't on tour.

I sang, and Enrico offered me a job.

And what did he do that for?

A kid heading for music all the time.

I was, no way I'm gonna turn it down.

So I took my 15 little songs up to San Francisco.

Didn't get that job, but opened at the Tin Angel.

And it's been going beautifully ever since.

(guitar music) ♪ Sound of the sea ♪ ♪ Won't you help me ♪ ♪ To drown out these thoughts ♪ ♪ In my mind ♪ ♪ Waves capped with foam ♪ ♪ Help my mind roam ♪ ♪ From the sights ♪ ♪ That I can't bear to see ♪ ♪ Fists ♪ ♪ All blue gray ♪ ♪ Which way ♪ ♪ Is the way ♪ ♪ It's day ♪ ♪ Yeah, it's day ♪ ♪ It's day again ♪ ♪ It's day ♪ ♪ The sound ♪ ♪ And the sights ♪ ♪ The warm ♪ ♪ And the brights ♪ ♪ And, yes ♪ ♪ I insist ♪ ♪ On a child's ♪ ♪ Play ♪ ♪ Fists ♪ ♪ Of blue gray ♪ ♪ Which way ♪ ♪ Is the way ♪ ♪ It's day ♪ ♪ Again, it's day ♪ ♪ It's day ♪ ♪ Praise God, it's day ♪ ♪ Which way ♪ ♪ Is the way ♪ ♪ In night ♪ ♪ You find sights ♪ ♪ In all ♪ ♪ There is all ♪ ♪ Aw, yes ♪ ♪ Yes ♪ ♪ Yes ♪ (audience claps) Thank you.

I did not meet Winnie the Pooh until I was an adult.

And then I started feeling sorry for kids, 'cause they would never understand Winnie the Pooh.

And then I started feeling sorry for myself, because I would never see Winnie the Pooh as a kid.

Then I gave all that up.

I have a fetish for Winnie the Pooh.

Met Winnie the Pooh on Nantucket island.

The fire was roaring.

It was read to me.

I loved to be read to.

When the Walt Disney production came out, I decided not to see that production because I didn't want my own images intruded upon.

So, I'll introduce you to my Winnie the Pooh Winnie the Pooh comes out of the mind of an English writer, His name is A.A. Milne.

And Milne wrote a series of children's books, dedicated to his wife.

His son was the center of the books.

And Christopher Robin was his son's name.

Now, Christopher Robin's friends were little stuffed animals.

I'm going to talk about Winnie the Pooh, I've given you my fetish already.

Now, his description is that he is a little stuffed bear of very little brain.

He loves to eat, especially honey, H U N N Y.

Ask for it by name.

(audience laughs) Winnie is a composer, when he composes, hums, loosely translated those are little poemlets.

Now, whenever Winnie has a problem to solve, or whenever Winnie has to pat himself on the back, Winnie composes a little hum.

Now, another thing that Winnie has to do is eat when 11 o'clock rolls around.

Now, this is one glorious morning.

It is near 11 o'clock.

And Winnie has decided he would like to visit a friend.

Now, must be a generous friend, because of course, Winnie has got to eat when 11 o'clock rolls around.

This leads me to believe that Winnie, like I, is a practical Capricorn.

(audience laughs) Now, Winnie considers visiting Baby Roo, and Baby Roo is the child of Kanga.

And you get the full thrust of that as you turn it to kangaroo.

Heavy.

Winnie considers visiting, he considers visiting himself.

This makes him my most favorite philosopher.

He considers visiting Owl.

Now Owl is a heavy intellectual.

I mean, Owl can almost spell.

And I keep meeting those people.

(audience laughs) And he considers visiting Rabbit.

Now Rabbit is evidently the most generous of the whole bunch and wins out.

The words are by A.A. Milne, and the music is by O.O.

Debtor.

(audience laughs) (guitar music) ♪ So Pooh sat down on a stone in the middle of the stream ♪ ♪ and he sang another verse to his song ♪ ♪ And while he wondered what to do ♪ ♪ The other verse to a song went like this ♪ ♪ I could spend a happy mornin' ♪ ♪ Seein' Roo ♪ ♪ Spend a happy mornin' ♪ ♪ Bein' Pooh ♪ ♪ It doesn't seem to matter if I don't get any fatter ♪ ♪ and I don't get any fatter ♪ ♪ What I do ♪ ♪ Rabbit said, Pooh do himself.

♪ ♪ I like talking to Rabbit.

♪ ♪ He talks about sensible things ♪ ♪ He doesn't use long, difficult words like Owl ♪ ♪ He uses short, easy words ♪ ♪ Like what about lunch and help yourself, Pooh ♪ ♪ 'Spose really, I ought to go and see Rabbit ♪ ♪ Oh, I like his way of talking ♪ ♪ Yes, I do.

♪ ♪ It's the nicest way of talking just for two ♪ ♪ And to help yourself with Rabbit ♪ ♪ Though it may become a habit ♪ ♪ Is a pleasant to sort of happen for Pooh ♪ (audience claps) This next is a mini, a little suite of songs.

And it's only a beginning.

I feel as the years go on, there'll be other things added to denote and to pay my respect to those whom I've come out of.

While I'm singing, I'd like you to get your voices cleared, your throats cleared, because at the end of it, we're all going to be singing together.

And you will notice, I did not ask you if you felt like it.

(audience laughs) We don't have time to flirt.

Just jump in when it comes the time.

(audience laughs) (guitar music) Song pays homage to the people who kept the songs going.

We don't even know their names.

But it is our history.

All of us, all of our histories.

And then, to two particular men.

One is Leadbelly and one is Josh White.

Leadbelly wrote this one, he says, ♪ Old Howard's dead and gone ♪ ♪ Left me to sing this song ♪ ♪ Old Howard's dead and gone ♪ ♪ Left me to sing this song ♪ ♪ He said, who been here since I been gone ♪ ♪ Been a little girl with a red dress on ♪ ♪ Who been here since I been gone ♪ ♪ Pretty little girl with a red dress on ♪ ♪ Oh, my Josh ♪ ♪ White's dead and gone ♪ ♪ He left me here to sing this song ♪ ♪ My Josh White is dead and gone ♪ ♪ He left me here to sing this song ♪ ♪ He said, who been here since I been gone ♪ ♪ Say, a pretty little girl with a red dress on ♪ ♪ Who been here since I been gone ♪ ♪ Pretty little girl with a red dress ♪ Josh White did not write this next song.

I think it was his charisma and the beauty of the song traveled all around this world.

♪ There is a house ♪ ♪ in New Orleans ♪ ♪ They call the Rising Sun ♪ ♪ Been the ruin ♪ ♪ Of many a good girl ♪ ♪ And look at me, honey ♪ ♪ But I'm only one ♪ ♪ If I had listened ♪ ♪ To what my mama said ♪ ♪ I'd been at home today ♪ ♪ Being young, ♪ ♪ Being foolish ♪ ♪ I let my gambler led me astray ♪ ♪ My mama ♪ ♪ She's a tailor ♪ ♪ She sewed your blue jeans ♪ ♪ When they were new ♪ ♪ My sweetheart ♪ ♪ He's a drunkard ♪ ♪ Drinking down in New Orleans ♪ ♪ Oh, yes ♪ ♪ Mmm, yes ♪ ♪ Ooh ♪ ♪ No ♪ ♪ Oh, no ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ I was a young girl ♪ ♪ I used to seek pleasure ♪ ♪ When I was a young girl ♪ ♪ I used to drink ale ♪ ♪ Out of an alehouse ♪ ♪ Into this jailhouse ♪ ♪ My body's ruined ♪ ♪ They laugh at me here ♪ ♪ Get 16 pretty maidens ♪ ♪ To carry my coffin ♪ ♪ 16 pretty maidens ♪ ♪ To sing me a song ♪ ♪ Put bunches of roses ♪ ♪ Over my coffin ♪ ♪ So I look pretty ♪ ♪ As I ride 'long ♪ ♪ When I was a young girl ♪ ♪ I used to seek pleasure ♪ ♪ When I was a young girl ♪ ♪ I used to drink ale ♪ ♪ Out of an alehouse ♪ ♪ Into this jailhouse ♪ ♪ And my body's ruined ♪ ♪ They laugh at me here ♪ (guitar music) ♪ Go tell ♪ ♪ My baby sister ♪ ♪ Don't do what I ♪ ♪ have done ♪ ♪ Shun that house ♪ ♪ In New Orleans ♪ ♪ They call ♪ ♪ the Rising Sun ♪ (guitar music) ♪ Yeah, in the house ♪ ♪ ooh, whoa ♪ (guitar music) ♪ My Leadbelly, he's dead and gone ♪ ♪ And he left me here to sing this song ♪ ♪ My Leadbelly, he's dead and gone ♪ ♪ He left me to sing this song ♪ ♪ He said, who been here since I been gone ♪ ♪ I say, a pretty little girl with a red dress on ♪ ♪ Who been here since I been gone ♪ ♪ A pretty little girl with a red dress ♪ And then Leadbelly wrote, He says, ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ I'll see ♪ ♪ You in my dreams ♪ You folky-poos know, this is the one ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ Practice good because you have a solo coming up.

♪ I ♪ I hear ya.

♪ Rene ♪ Sounding good.

♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ I'll see ♪ ♪ You in my dreams ♪ Oh, honey.

♪ Sometimes ♪ ♪ I live in the country ♪ ♪ Sometimes ♪ ♪ I live in town ♪ ♪ Sometimes ♪ ♪ I get a great notion ♪ ♪ To jump ♪ ♪ In the river and drown ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ I'll see ♪ ♪ You in my dreams ♪ ♪ Stop ramblin' ♪ ♪ Stop that gamblin' ♪ ♪ Stop stayin' out late at night ♪ ♪ Come home ♪ ♪ To your wife and your children ♪ ♪ Sit by this fire ♪ Your solo.

♪ Ah ♪ (guitar plays) (audience sings Goodnight Irene) - [Odetta] Easy.

I can hear ya.

♪ Goodnight ♪ (audience continues singing Goodnight Irene) - [Odetta] Again, again, again.

Again, again, again.

[Odetta And Audience] ♪ Irene ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ Goodnight ♪ ♪ Irene ♪ ♪ I'll see ♪ ♪ You in my dreams ♪ - [Odetta] I'm gonna get you ♪ In my dreams ♪ (audience claps) Bravo.

The performer cannot decide what, how, and who the music is gonna heal.

That is, that is the participation of the listener.

The only thing, I think, that a performer can do is to get as deep into one's self, and project as much as one can of one's self in performing.

And, leave what the response is going to be 'til after you've finished the song, because, many times nervousness about something is worrying about how someone is gonna respond before you've even finished or done the thing.

And that's just a waste of energy.

But if you can put yourself completely into it, or give yourself completely over to it, then, someone has a well to dip into, if you happen to be the well, they wish to dip into, right.

Now, I know that there've been many times when I was sick as a dog, before I went on that stage, and I finished the concert, I get back to the hotel or motel and had to remember that I had been sick before.

So, my own experience is that it is healing.

Not just that someone has told me that the music is healing.

Not just my music though.

I've been healed by others.

As a matter of fact, there was one time I got back into New York, my favorite city.

And I love it because of the energy here in New York.

I can be a hermit for two weeks and not dark the door.

And then all of a sudden, and it generally happens about 11 o'clock at night.

I need to hear some live music, and that's when I start getting dressed.

Then I head for the Village from Uptown.

And one of the places I head for most is this place we're sitting in right now called Folk City.

And I sit and I listen, and I am soothed.

I'm healed.

And the city itself can be very busy.

But although, see, I need the busy-ness of the city because I'm one who could generally sit and contemplate my navel forever.

And in the Christian-Judeo traditions, that is a no, no for sure.

So here I get a little something done.

Plus, I can involve myself in what I guess is the closest to a hobby I have, and that is going and listened to other folks' music.

I don't know how to tell you.

I'm not even sure that we have words to cover those areas where the music is very helpful or where a beautiful painting has helped you.

I think that we as humankind have language without words, which is probably fortunate because if we had words for those areas, we'd mess that up, too.

(Odetta laughs) Dissect it, mess it up.

This is a song that comes off of one of my most favorite records in the world.

It's a Folkways record, and it's children's game songs from Alabama.

And on this record, there was a little one who sang with more enthusiasm than all the rest of the kids put together.

Couldn't find the pitch, or the note, or the time, but that had nothing to do with it.

I would like to do an imitation of my child on that record.

Now, I don't do imitations because my ego is generally too big to deal with keeping myself someplace else.

So, I would like you to sing with me this song.

And then, at the end of it, I'll go into my child.

The imitation of, okay.

♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de lie ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ All on a Saturday night ♪ Now you could be singing ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de lie ♪ or you could be singing, ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de lie ♪ Whatever turns you on.

(audience laughs) Historically, both are correct.

(audience laughs) ♪ Ah, here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de lie ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ All on a Saturday night ♪ You can keep time.

♪ Put your little self in ♪ ♪ You put your little self out ♪ ♪ You give your little self a shake, shake, shake ♪ ♪ And you turn yourself about ♪ ♪ Aw, baby, now ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ Here we go loop de lie ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ All on a Saturday night ♪ ♪ Oh, you put your little head in ♪ ♪ You put you little head out ♪ ♪ You give your a little head a shake, shake, shake, ♪ ♪ And you turn yourself about ♪ ♪ Woo, baby, now ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de lie ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ All on a Saturday night ♪ ♪ Oh, I put my whole self in ♪ ♪ I take my whole self out ♪ ♪ I give them my whole self a shake, shake, shake ♪ ♪ And I turn myself about ♪ ♪ Woo, baby, now ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de lie ♪ ♪ Here we go loop de loo ♪ ♪ All on a Saturday night ♪ That's my child.

(audience claps) ♪ Come here ♪ ♪ Black woman ♪ ♪ And ♪ ♪ Sit down ♪ ♪ Your daddy's near ♪ ♪ Come here ♪ ♪ Pretty black woman ♪ ♪ And ♪ ♪ Sit down ♪ ♪ Your daddy's near ♪ ♪ Don't your house feel lonesome ♪ ♪ When your biscuit roller's gone ♪ ♪ Help my hungry child ♪ ♪ House feel lonesome ♪ ♪ When your biscuit roller's ♪ ♪ gone ♪ ♪ I know your house feel lonesome ♪ ♪ When your biscuit ♪ ♪ roller's gone ♪ ♪ Ain't it hard to stumble ♪ ♪ You got no place ♪ ♪ To fall ♪ ♪ It's hard to stumble ♪ ♪ When you got no place to fall.

♪ ♪ I know it's hard to stumble ♪ ♪ When you ain't got no ♪ ♪ Place to fall ♪ ♪ You say, come here, ♪ ♪ Pretty black woman ♪ ♪ And ♪ ♪ Sit down.

♪ ♪ Your daddy's near ♪ ♪ Mmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm ♪ (audience claps) - [Announcer 2] The preceding program was produced in part through a grant from the Ohio Educational Broadcasting Network Commission and through a grant from the Ohio Arts Council.