Peace Songbook

"Let 'Em Laugh" reminds us that mistakes are for learning, and that we learn best when we take risks and try new experiences. Others may laugh and scoff, but perseverance even in the face of teasing is an important life skill.

Lyrics

LET ‘EM LAUGH!

Cho:

Let ‘em laugh! Let ‘em laugh! Let ‘em laugh! E-A

Let ‘em call me a clown! E-B7

Let ‘em laugh! Let ‘em laugh! Let ‘em laugh! E-A

That won’t stop me from getting up when I fall down! E-A-E-B7-E

Everybody makes mistakes when A

We’re learning something new E

I look funny on my roller skates A

Because it’s hard to do! C#m-B

I don’t care if they laugh at me, A

I think I’m funny too! C#m

Though I fall down, I won’t give up, F#-F#7

And they’ll cheer me when I’m through! So, B-B7

Chorus/ Instrumental Chorus

I never used to try new things

My friends thought I was shy

Then I realized one day

That life was passing by!

Sometimes you gotta take a chance

There’s so many things to try,

N’sometimes you ‘crash and burn’,

But sometimes, you fly! So,

Chorus/ Chorus

On Take Me With You! and Songs On Recovery & Addiction

– www.peteralsop.com

LET 'EM LAUGH

EXERCISES: Cover your ears with your hands and listen to your heart beating and pushing the blood through your arteries. Right now we are using up our heartbeats and our lives are passing by. Make a list of at least three things you'd like to learn to do, but you've been afraid to try. Find someone who can already do one of these things and ask them how they learned to do it.

QUESTIONS: Do you act shy sometimes? Can you talk about how you feel? Do you ever feel dumb or stupid or clumsy, and make jokes about it? Why? Did you ever try to do something new, while your were thinking that you probably wouldn't be able to do it? How did you do? When things go badly, does it make you feel any better to say you knewthings would be awful? Do you think things can go well when we're expecting the worst?

DISCUSSION: In order to learn and grow, we need to stick our necks out and take some risks. Risks mean that we might fail, or else they aren't really risks. When we take reasonable risks and we fail, we learn about ourselves and we can think about other ways to succeed. When we are successful, we gain mastery over ourselves and our environment, we feel good and we build our self-esteem.

Our songs for children about peace and justice, resolving conflicts, and celebrating our global family are more important than ever in these troubled times. These Peace Resources are intended to help us all move forward with hope and tools for song and action as we work together to build a healthier, more peaceful world.

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