I was young, I used to hear my mother's violin pupils always practicing
da-da-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee
and I confess it kind of prejudiced me against that kind of music
but you know there's a lot of good music in the world
it's even written down on paper
and I was in Berkshire, Massachusetts
and listened to some of the Berkshire Music Festival they call it
had a lot of chamber music
and it was really, now don't get me wrong
chamber music means music you play in a small room
yeah I know, not in a blue room
I just understood what you said
well I figure there's no reason folk musicians shouldn't have some chamber music
so I went and figured me up a suite
I call it the goofing off suite
did I ever play it to you?
the reason I call it the goofing off suite
is if you want to play a guitar
you have to learn how to play a guitar
you have to learn how to goof off
if you're one of these conscientious people
always doing your homework and washing the dishes
you'll never get around to it
but if you know how to goof off
why, you'll learn
so of course in my house I'm very favored
everybody in my house can be working
Toshi's washing dishes
somebody else sweeping the floor
I'm lying on the bed picking the banjo
and my children say papa's practicing
so this is my goofing off suite
it has three movements I shall play
and in between each there should be absolute silence
because good music is a good thing
and holy
should I sit down?
sit down
this is reverent music
nah, it's good
I enjoyed it
first comes the theme