friend's funeral; life's cycle

Roll Em Pete; Walking my path, no sunshine, music lights the way

To Pete Johnson piano man, in 1938 Pete played back up for Big Joe Turner on maybe the first Rock and Roll song, Roll Em Pete, later poor Pete died down and out in obscurity

fiction
edward w pritchard

Each sad song was sung before, the couples come and go but the melody is the same.
Walking my path, no sunshine, music lights my way.

I played the boogie and let Big Joe shout and sing and shine,
now and then his lyrics would wake audiences from their slumbers, so I played back-up
Roll Em Pete; Walking my path, no sunshine, music lights the way

but the singer gets the credit, he is always the star
Me, I just play piano boogie,  and my struggle is always there
Roll Em Pete; Walking my path, no sunshine, music lights the way

other times my own boogie blues melody  lifts me from my own sorrow
Roll Em Pete; Walking my path, no sunshine, music lights the way

but life is very hard for me
traveling everywhere over this country to play just a little, no contract, no security, no renewals
I wash ice creams trucks and hearses for a little cash between gigs

the crowds always cheer and follow the singer but after the performance the piano man walks home alone

When I got old, I cut off part of my finger fixing the car on the way to play,
then I had a few strokes, still I had to play piano to survive,

during the 1950's others harvested the crop I worked so hard to plant;

you Big Joe, I am glad you got it on, those innuendos stimulate the crowds
I think I hear your voice Joe
but it's a dream
no one remembers me
Roll Em Pete, Walking my path, no sunshine, music lights the way

I still need the money and I am too old to do much else
so I play piano with just one hand, I had a stroke and everyone's forgotten me,
It's winter, it's very cold and I am stuck in Buffalo, New York

boogie this and boogie that, I am just struggling to get by
Roll Em Pete, walking my path, no sunshine, music lights the way

the singers keep a shouting and collect all the dough and the piano players come and go,
the blues had a baby and they called it rock and roll 
life goes on, it's all been done before
someone a-new re-records your rhythms, blues becomes rock and roll,

everyone  smiles at the cameras while they can,
and everyone remembers the lyrics even after the song is done,
but the tune dies there on the keyboard.