What You Gonna Say to Peter
Bob Nolan
Original copyright: September 27, 1955
Now, brother, whatcha gonna say to Peter, when you get there?
Whatcha gonna tell him, brother, whatcha gonna do?
Whatcha gonna say to Peter, when you get there?
Whatcha gonna tell him, brother, whatcha gonna do?
Bob:
Gonna get me another brand new coat for to climb the golden stairs,
(Gonna get another coat for to climb the golden stairs.)
And another pair o’ brand new tight knee pants for to make me look so fair.
(And another pair of pants for to make me look so fair.)
Now, brother, whatcha gonna say to Peter, when you get there?
Whatcha gonna tell him, brother, whatcha gonna do?
Pat, whatcha gonna say to Peter, when you get there?
Whatcha gonna tell him, Patrick, whatcha gonna do, huh?
“Well, Bob, I’m gonna ride right up to them pearly gates and I’m gonna say,
“Step aside, Mr. St. Peter, ‘cause—
Here I come, (Here he comes.)
Just takin’ my time. (Takin' his time.)"
He's a lazy ramblin’, rovin’, gamblin’, no good son-of-a-gun!
Bob:
Oh, the time has come and I must go for to join the heavenly band.
(Oh, the time has come for to join the heavenly band.)
So I packed my duds in a good-by bag, gonna head for the Promised Land.
(Gonna pack my duds and head for the Promised Land.)
Now, brother, whatcha gonna say to Peter, when you get there?
Whatcha gonna tell him, brother, whatcha gonna do?
Hugh, whatcha gonna say to Peter when you get there?
Whatcha gonna tell him, Hughie, whatcha gonna do?
“Well, Bob, when I get there, if’n I do get there, I’ll just step right up and I’ll say,
‘Mr. St. Peter, bein’ the cornfed country boy that I am,
I’ll just work that low forty for you ‘cause
I love the prairie country, give me the prairie country,
I’ll take the prairie country, you can have a rest.”
Bob:
Oh, I’ll look my best in my velvet vest when I’m ridin’ my old gray mare.
(Oh, I'll look my best when I'm ridin' my old gray mare.)
If the stairs don’t drop when I reach the top, gonna bow to the angels there.
(If the stairs don't drop, I'll bow to the angels there.)
Now, brother, whatcha gonna say to Peter, when you get there?
Whatcha gonna tell him, brother, whatcha gonna do?
Karl, whatcha gonna say to Peter when you get there?
Whatcha gonna tell him, Karl, whatcha gonna do?
Well, Bob, I’m a man of few words
And I think St. Peter’ll understand when I…(and plays his guitar.)
Bob:
There’s Peter now with a worried brow, just checkin’ his list away.
(There's Peter now just checkin' his list away.)
We’ll go right through. Peter, how de do and how are you today?
(We'll go right through, Peter, how are you today?)
Now, brother, whatcha gonna say to Peter, when you get there?
Whatcha gonna tell him, brother, whatcha gonna do?
Bob, whatcha gonna say to Peter when you get there,
Whatcha gonna tell him, Bob, whatcha gonna do?
Bob:
Well, I’ll tell you, Pat, I’m gonna flank myself with Lloyd and Tim on either side of me
And, three abreast, we’re just gonna march right in ‘cause we're
Rollin’ home, rollin’ home.
With a how de do and a halleluja we’re headin’ for the home corral!
Rollin’ home, rollin’ home.
With a how de do and a halleluja we’re headin’ for the home corral!
ABOUT THIS SONG
In performance, the Sons of the Pioneers sometimes used "What You Gonna Say to Peter" to introduce each of the current Sons of the Pioneers. Bob, as nominal head of the group, would take the lead vocal and the other members would incorporate the titles of some of their popular songs eg, "A No Good Son of a Gun" (Nolan), "I Love the Prairie Country" (Glenn Spencer) and "Headin’ for the Home Corral" (Glenn & Tim Spencer). We have found no sheet music and it has not been recorded after 1940.