Hey OSSI
(AKA “Grow OSSI Seed”)
Lyrics by Carol Deppe (2015) (CC-By License)
Performed 2020 by Carol Deppe (voice, guitar), Jack Kloppenburg (voice), Craig LeHoullier (voice)
(Sing to the tune of “Hey Lolly,” by Woody Guthrie) (C, G7.)
Breed new plants for you and me.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
Pledge their seeds and set them free.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
(Chorus)
Hey OSSI, OSSI, OSSI.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
Hey OSSI, OSSI, OSSI.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
Buy Pledged seed and save our seed rights.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
Join in the great seed sovereignty food fight.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
(Chorus)
Plant Pledged seed in fertile ground.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
Harvest it and spread it ‘round.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
(Chorus)
Pass the Pledge along with seed.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
No plant patents. That’s our creed.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
We also mean no PVPs.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
And no bag-tag licenses, if you please.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
(Chorus)
The OSSI Pledge will be our song.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
Join with us and sing along.
Hey OSSI, OSSI-O.
(Chorus)
Pledged Seed is Marching On
Lyrics by Carol Deppe and CR Lawn
(Nov. 2015; Oct. 2016) (CC-By License)
Performed 2020 by Carol Deppe (voice, guitar), Jack Kloppenburg (voice), Craig LeHoullier (voice)
(Sing to the tune of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”) (Capo 2nd fret; C, F, G7.)
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the
coming of Pledged seed.
It is spreading through the land
as a liberating creed.
As they try to steal our seed rights
let us fight to set seed free.
Pledged seed is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, Halleluiah.
Glory, glory, Halleluiah.
Glory, glory, Halleluiah.
Pledged seed is marching on.
If you think that robbing people of their
basic rights is wrong.
If you want a healthy planet
it’s with OSSI you belong.
Grow OSSI-Pledged varieties.
Pledged seed will make us strong.
Pledged seed is marching on.
(Chorus)
We Don’t Wanna Eat GMO
Lyrics by Carol Deppe (2016) (CC-By License)
Performed 2020 by Carol Deppe (voice, guitar), Jack Kloppenburg (voice), Craig LeHoullier (voice)
(Sing to the tune of “Stars and Stripes Forever,”
the part that starts “Hurray for the flag of the free…”; Kiddie version, “Be kind to your webfooted friends…”) by John Phillip Sousa.) (C, G7, F.)
We don’t wanna eat GMO.
And we really don’t care how they tout it.
It’s all under corporate control.
And as for its safety—we doubt it.
We can’t live on just food alone.
But we also can’t live real long without it.
Control of our seeds means control of our food,
so let’s take back both seeds and food and shout about it.
Seed Savers Brave
(AKA “The Free the Seed Song”)
Lyrics by Carol Deppe (2015) (CC-By License)
Performed by Carol Deppe (voice, guitar), Jack Kloppenburg (voice), Craig LeHoullier (voice)
(Sing to the tune of “Scotland the Brave.” Capo 2nd fret: chord forms G, C, D7.)
We are the bold seed savers.
We are the planet changers.
Join in our noble labors.
Grow OSSI seed.
Let OSSI be a fertile haven.
Tolerate no corporation,
that with chains of patents craven,
threatens our seed.
Let OSSI be a fertile haven.
Tolerate no corporation,
that with laws and litigation,
threatens our seed.
Let OSSI spread to every nation,
every farm and every station.
Let the OSSI Pledge so sacred,
protect our seed.
We are the bold seed savers.
We are the planet changers.
Join in our noble labors.
Grow OSSI seed.
Let OSSI spread to every nation,
every farm and every station.
Let the OSSI Pledge so sacred,
protect our seed.
OSSI Can Can
Lyrics by Carol Deppe Oct. 2016 (CC-By License)
Performed 2020 by Carol Deppe (voice, guitar), Jack Kloppenburg (voice), Craig LeHoullier (voice), Joseph Lofthouse (voice)
(Sing to chorus of Offenbach’s Can Can. I suggest listening to the YouTube video version “Can Can from Orpheus in the Underworld, Gimnaz ija Kranz Symphony Orchestra.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf9CtbLGzgw However, traditionally there is clapping for chorus only; don’t clap on verse 1. For our purposes I raise the key and slow it down for the purpose of singability. I use a capo on fret 2. Chord forms for verse 1 are G, C, D; for verses 2 & 3, G D.) (On the Chorus I’ve underlined the heaviest beats.)
1. (We have) corn that actually tastes like food,
winter squash that’s really good,
tons of beans to help us toot,
peppers that are just a hoot,
above a hundred dwarf tomatoes,
and a handful of potatoes,
lots that’s brand new if you dare,
lettuces just everywhere.
2. What can we do with an OSSI-Pledged variety?
Anything we want that doesn’t rob humanity.
Save seed, sell it, breed with it, it’s ours you see.
To hell with their so-called intellectual property.
3. (Chorus; audience clapping; bold marks heaviest beats.)
We are the Open Source Seed Initiative. Our
creed is “Free the Seed!” We
breed the seed that people need.
When we have seed of an OSSI–Pledged variety,
it’s really ours, and we can
use it as we choose.
Repeat 3 (chorus).
Repeat 1 (Omit “We have”)
Repeat 3 (chorus)
Repeat 3 (chorus)