Pete Jolly—born Peter Ceragioli Jr. June 5, 1932, in New Haven, Connecticut… Read Full Bio ↴Pete Jolly—born Peter Ceragioli Jr. June 5, 1932, in New Haven, Connecticut; died November 6, 2004, in Pasadena, California—was an American West Coast jazz pianist and accordionist, likely best known for his performance of television themes and various movie soundtracks.

He began playing the accordion at age 3, and appeared on the radio program Hobby Lobby at age seven.

His composition "Little Bird" was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1963 (a minor hit on Fred Astaire's Ava label), and he formed the Pete Jolly Trio in 1964. With the Trio, and also as a solo artist, he recorded several albums, the last being in 2000, a collaboration with Swedish jazz pianist Jan Lundgren. He also worked with other notable jazz artists, including Buddy DeFranco, Art Pepper, and Red Norvo, and for many years with EZ music arranger and director Ray Conniff.

Jolly's music can be heard on television programs such as Get Smart, The Love Boat, I Spy, Mannix, M*A*S*H, and Dallas, as well as hundreds of movie soundtracks.

He died in Pasadena, California, from complications of bone marrow cancer, having been hospitalized from August to November, 2004.

Whistle While You Work
Pete Jolly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the work begins to pile up,
And your temper starts to rile up,
That's the time a fellow needs a song.

Doctor, Banker, Butcher, Baker,
You can be a merry maker,
If you'll keep on singing all day long.

If you're hanging in suspense from eight till five,
And you want to keep the sense of humor alive.
Just, whistle while you work (whistle)
Put on that grin and start right in,
To whistle loud and long.

Just hum a merry tune (hum)
Just do your best,
Then take a rest and sing yourself a song.

When there's too much to do,
Don't let it bother you,
Forget your trouble, try to be just like a cheerful chick-a-dee,
And whistle while you work (whistle)

Come on get smart

Tune up and start
To whistle while you work.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Pete Jolly's song Whistle While You Work are all about the power of music to make work more bearable. The song encourages listeners to sing or whistle while they work, suggesting that doing so can help alleviate the feeling of being overwhelmed or stressed by too much work. The opening lines of the song describe the feeling of work piling up and a person's temper flaring up as a result. However, the song argues that the solution to this problem is simple: just sing a song.

The song gives examples of different professions, from doctors to bakers, and suggests that all of them can benefit from singing or whistling while they work. The lyrics argue that keeping a cheerful attitude through music can make even the most difficult tasks more enjoyable. The song suggests that even if a person is feeling weighed down by the amount of work they have to do, they can still find joy in their work by singing a tune.

Overall, the message of the song is clear: music can help us find joy in even the most mundane or stressful of tasks. It encourages people to adopt a positive attitude and to make the most of their workday by incorporating music into their routine.

Line by Line Meaning

When the work begins to pile up,
If you start feeling overwhelmed with work,

And your temper starts to rile up,
resulting in losing your cool,

That's the time a fellow needs a song.
then it's a good idea to turn to music.

Doctor, Banker, Butcher, Baker,
Regardless of whether you're a professional like a Doctor, Banker, Butcher or Baker,

You can be a merry maker,
you can be a cheerful person,

If you'll keep on singing all day long.
as long as you sing all day long.

If you're hanging in suspense from eight till five,
If your work is agonizing and lasts long hours,

And you want to keep the sense of humor alive.
and you aim to maintain a sense of humor,

Just, whistle while you work (whistle)
start whistling while you work,

Put on that grin and start right in,
wear a smile and start working wholeheartedly

To whistle loud and long.
whistle cheerfully and continuously.