“HIs Tapes Roll On” is a song written and performed by Peter Stampfel about Gnostic Saint Harry Smith. Peter was a fixture on the Greenwich Village Folk revival scene of the 1960’s, performing and recording with the duo The Holy Modal Rounders and performing on the Fugs first album, which Harry produced.
Lyrics unearthed online by Soror Amy
“HIS TAPES ROLL ON”
HARRY RECORDED WITH A WIRE RECORDER
A BACK IN WORLD WAR TWO
A HARRY RECORDED WITH A REEL TO REEL
WHEN THE REEL TO REEL WAS NEW
HARRY RECORDED CASSETTES BY THE HUNDRED
AS THE CENTURY ROLLED ON
HE EVEN USED A TELEPHONE ANSWERING MACHINE
BUT HARRY SMITH IS GONE
SPEED RAPPING KILLERS AND JUMP ROPE RHYMES
FIREWORKS ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
COMPLETE EARLY CANNON OF GREGORY CORSO
KITTENS, SNOWSTORMS..AIRPLANE TRIPS
WHAT IS THE SOUND OF ONE HAND CLAPPING
WHERE’S TOMORROW GONE
MOST OF HIS TAPES ARE MISSING IN ACTION
AND HARRY SMITH IS GONE
BUT HIS C TAPES ROLL ON AND THEY’LL NEVER STOP
TILL THEY Em ROLL ALL OVER THE WORLD
A TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH , EAST & WEST D
AMPHETAMINE BABBLE, JUNKY MUMBLES
CONCERTS IN THE PARK
BANGING PANS, BANGING POTS
SQEAKING HINGES , DEAD BOLT LOCKS
SINGING BIRDS AT SUNSET, SINGING BIRDS AT DAWN
ONCE UPON A TIME HE GOT ‘EM ALL, BUT HARRY SMITH IS GONE
DEATH BED PRAYERS OF BOWERY BUMS
THEIR DEATH RATTLES TOO
AMBIENT SOUNDS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
TEA KETTLES BY THE SLEW
SQUEALING BREAKS , HONKING HORNS
ON AND ON AND ON
HE WORKED HIS MAGIC WITH A MICROPHONE
BUT HARRY SMITH IS GONE
BUT HIS TAPES ROLL AND THEY’LL NEVER STOP
TILL THEY ROLL ALL OVER THE WORLD
OVER THE MOUNTAIN, ACROSS THE SEA
PEYOTE SONGS OF THE KIOWA
THE FUGS FIRST RECORD TOO
THE SONGS OF ORLOVSKY AND GINSBERG
RHOOSTERS COCK A DOODLE DO
CHURCH BELLS RINGING AND CHILDREN SINGING
HE KEPT ON KEEPING ON
ROLLING HIS TAPES TILL THEY ROLLED HIM UP
AND HARRY SMITH WAS GONE
RODEOS, CARNIVALS …
GAMES OF BASKET BALL
DOGS, AND CATS AND SQUIRRELS AND COWS
CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
HE HUSTLED MANY HUSTLES
HE CONNED A COUPLED CONS
HE LIVED THE LIFE HE WANTED TO
BUT HARRY SMITH IS GONE
BUT HIS TAPES ROLL AND THEY’LL NEVER STOP
TILL THEY ROLL ALL OVER THE WORLD
THEY’RE GONNA ROLL TO THE SUN AND MOON AND STARS
HE TRIED TO TAKE THE WHOLE WIDE
AND SHOVE IT UP HIS EARS
HE HEARD IT ALL AS ONE GREAT SONG
THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES
HE PLANNED TO TAPE A SERIES
CALLED MOVIES FOR THE BLIND
BUT TIME AND FATE HAD OTHER PLANS
FATE’S NOT ALWAYS KIND
SONIC SOCIALITY
AUDIO VERITE
A KIND OF MEDITATION
GODS OWN GUEST D J
GENIUS SHAMAN PAIN IN THE ASS
PEERLESS PARAGON
WE’LL NEVER SEE HIS LIKE AGAIN …. HARRY SMITH IS GONE
BUT HIS TAPES ROLL AND THEY’LL NEVER STOP
TILL THEY ROLL ALL OVER THE WORLD
OVER UNDER SIDEWAYS DOWN
You can listen on Spotify, or look it up on YouTube if you’d prefer.
https://open.spotify.com/track/5MohsQUt7FUYVnmfvfTPOJ?si=3046922643164ec2.
