• From: Gainesville, Virginia USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,512

Topic: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

This song is about the lifelong friendship of my father, Pete Gilpin, and Lewis Green. Both men were gifted writers, but both took different paths in life. Here is a link about Lewis for those who are interested, but I'm sure you can find more about him or his books: http://www.acountryrag.org/o01029.html
My father's life was a little more obscure. He wrote one book about the life of Bascom Lamar Lunsford, called The Minstrel of the Appalachians, but most of his writing was in newspaper articles in the Houston Chronicle and the Asheville Citizen Times. I couldn't find many links but you are welcome to look.

Ballad of Lewis and Pete By Jeff Gilpin


June 16th, 2012




Verse 1


[C]Lewis and Pete were friends I guess


[Am]Shared a love of words and jest


[G]Shared their thoughts that I confess


[F]Were way above my [G]head




Verse 2


[C]Writing lives help cross their paths


[Am]But their partnership didn't last


[G]Lewis struck out on his own


[F]While Pete preferred to [G]pay for his home




Chorus 1


[F]Lewis he was a native son


While [C]Pete he was a rolling one


[Am]Curious carefree thoughtful men


[F]Working writers [G]working friends [Am] [G]




Verse 3


[C]Lewis started his own paper


[Am]Filled it with thoughts of an obscure nature


[G]About outrage he felt inside


[F]Not well received but he [G]took it in stride




Verse 4


[C]Pete he was less controversial


[Am]Choose to run in different circles


[G]PR work at a learned school


[F]Following all their [G]social rules



Chorus 2


[F]Lewis man he ruffled feathers


[C]Pointed fingers at his so called betters


While [Am]Pete he kept his family fed


[F]Choose to keep his [G]thoughts in his head [Am] [G]





Verse 5


[C]Pete's life led him many places


[Am]Ended up back where he knew the faces


[G]Working for the state at the end of the game


[F]Retired when he finished [G]all the same




Verse 6


[C]Lewis he didn't go so quietly


[Am]Pissed off the church, some think rightly


[G]Wrote and taught until his dying day


But he [F]surely lived [G]some might say




Chorus 3


[F]Lewis died wanting to live


But [C]writers never stop wanting to give


[Am]Pete worked too but he shared his wit


With the [F]people where his [G]life was spent [Am] [G]




Verse 7


[C]I spoke at the funeral of Pete


[Am]Friends of his I got to meet


[G]Lewis was not in the congregation


At[F]tending church not his [G]inclination




Verse 8


He [C]called me said he wanted to meet


[Am]Wanted to explain something about Pete


I [G]never got the chance to hook up with Lewis


[F]He's gone now [G]too late I guess




Chorus 4


I [F]wonder now what he wanted to say


Why [C]he and Pete had their falling away


I [Am]missed my chance as happens sometime


[F]Missing his words feel [G]like a crime [Am]



J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • dino48
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  • From: los banos,california
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 6,801

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

Good tune and some intersting history here jets,now we know where you get your writing background from.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman
  • From: Gainesville, Virginia USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,512

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

Thanks Dino - True stories make for good tunes. I'm not in the same league as my father when it comes to writing, but thanks for the complement.

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • From: Latvia
  • Registered: 2012-01-24
  • Posts: 24

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

Awesome, this will be my motivation to master the F chord finally! I suppose it sounds  rather different in my head than yours, but there is something in a song that tells a good story!

  • From: Tooele Ut
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4,049

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

A great little story in this song.  This happens to a lot of people in their lives.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • From: Gainesville, Virginia USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,512

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

Thanks Still_Larva and Pete - Good luck with you F chord, Still. All the bar chords give me trouble but they come with practice...and I still have to practice.

Pete - You know I am a sucker for story songs too. Using my dad and one of his very best friends as inspiration helped me to tell their story right.

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • From: Chillicothe, Ohio
  • Registered: 2010-08-16
  • Posts: 1,013

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

Great song Jeff. Its nice to see a song about family, and its a great tribute to your father.  The lyrics really pulled me into the story.

Last year my youngest daughter and I researched my family history and I was able to write three new songs inspired by my great-grandfather, grandfather and father's generations.

DE

I want to read my own water, choose my own path, write my own songs
  • From: Gainesville, Virginia USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,512

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

Dirty Ed wrote:

Great song Jeff. Its nice to see a song about family, and its a great tribute to your father.  The lyrics really pulled me into the story.

Last year my youngest daughter and I researched my family history and I was able to write three new songs inspired by my great-grandfather, grandfather and father's generations.

DE

I could use another camp/camp fire session with you again my friend. I would really enjoy hearing these three.

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • From: Gainesville, Virginia USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,512

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

Just finished a scratch recording of The Ballad of Lewis and Pete. Have a listen and let me know what you think. https://soundcloud.com/jets60/ballad-of-lewis-and-pete

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • From: Scott County, Virginia, U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2008-03-19
  • Posts: 794

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

Just now listened to your song - loved it! Such a wonderful story.

Live in the "now" - a contentment of the moment - the past is gone - the future doesn't exist - all we ever really have is now and it's always "now".
  • From: Gainesville, Virginia USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,512

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

Thanks Tom - I appreciate the feed back. I bet you would have liked both men. Both very talented and always filled with humor. Lewis was a big proponent of the "old Appalachian mountain values". He also taught me how to make johnny cakes (pancakes made mostly of cornmeal) on one camping trip...since then I've always associated camping and johnny cakes and vice versa. Lewis wrote a few books and was quite a story teller. One of his books was published in 2003 and is called "Of Human Interest". It is made up of pieces he wrote for the various papers he started and wrote for. Finding my father's writings is a little tougher. His most known is a short book he wrote in 1966 about Bascome Lamar Lundsford, who's most known for his mountain folk songs.

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website

  • dino48
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  • From: los banos,california
  • Registered: 2007-04-06
  • Posts: 6,801

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

I enjoyed it jets,I like how you did a story/song thank you for sharing it.

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman
  • From: Gainesville, Virginia USA
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,512

Re: Ballad of Lewis and Pete

My pleasure Vince. Glad you enjoyed it.

J  E  T  S
...and yet a Washington Commanders fan (unless they change their name again) ...long story...HTT...C

jets60's Website