Remembering Pete Seeger

To every thing, Turn! Turn! Turn; there is a season, Turn! Turn! Turn!

and a time to every purpose under heaven:

A time to be born, a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap;

A time to kill, a time to heal; a time to laugh, a time to weep; (refrain)

A time to build up, a time to break down; a time to dance, a time to mourn;

A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together. (refrain)

A time of love, a time of hate; a time of war, a time of peace;

A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing. (refrain)

A time to gain, a time to lose; a time to rend, a time to sew,

A time of love, a time of hate,

A time of peace, I swear it’s not too late.

For everything, Turn! Turn! Turn; there is a season, Turn! Turn! Turn!

And a time to every purpose under heaven.

*The song is based on The Book of Ecclesiastes 3-1-8

On the morning of January 28^th, I turned on the radio and was saddened to hear Pete Seeger, one of my heroes had died the night before. He was 94 so I wasn’t surprised since his beloved wife Toshi had died a year ago just before the 70^th anniversary of their marriage, and from experiences in my own family and reading obituaries I know often when a spouse in a longtime marriage where both are elderly dies, the other spouse will die within a year. Still, I couldn’t help feeling grief for someone I loved and admired not only because I’m a lover of folk music, but  because he stood for so much that I believe in.

Later I went online and read the various articles on him. Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote Pete Seeger was the singer, folk-song collector and songwriter who spearheaded an American folk revival and spent a long career championing folk music as both a vital heritage and a catalyst for social change. David Browne of Rolling Stone wrote Pete Seeger was a seminal figure in American music who kept folk music alive and influenced generations of musicians from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen.  I couldn’t begin to list all the singers he sang with or who recorded and sang his songs. I spent much of the afternoon listening to him sing alone and with others  in online videos, especially the ones I brought up from Peter Weber’s column “8 songs to remember Pete Seeger by” in THE WEEK. Some he wrote, some he didn’t some he revised. The eight were:  “Whose Side Are You On?” “Goodnight, Irene,” a cleaned up version of Lead Belly’s song. “If I Had a Hammer,” “We Shall Overcome,” Seeger turned the Will to Shall and taught the song to the black Civil Rights organizers in the South. “Wimoweh” was a mishearing of a South African song “Mbube” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” a popular anti-war song during the Viet Nam War. The title of “Turn! Turn! Turn!” is actually “To Everything There Is a Season,”, but it’s always abbreviated to the 3 words he inserts in the lines from The Book of Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3. This song also became an anti-war protest song.  “Worried Man Blues” is a folk song passed down through oral tradition. He sang it during an ABC broadcast of a concert in Nashville in 1970 a few years after the TV networks lifted a decade-long blacklisting of Seeger during the McCarthy era. Johnny Cash joined Seeger on stage and sang the song with him.

Not only did Pete Seeger inspire numerous singers throughout his years of performing, but he championed Civil Rights for blacks, union workers and was active in the anti-war protest movement of the 60’s and 70’s. He was also a staunch environmentalist who worked to clean up the Hudson River. He’d bought 17 acres near the river and built a log cabin on his land.

 His career had him singing at labor rallies, college auditoriums, folk festivals and playing at a concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during a concert for Obama’s inauguration in 2008. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Arlo Guthrie, who paid tribute at the ceremony, mentioned that the Weavers’ hit “Goodnight, Irene” had reached No. 1, only to add, “I can’t think of a single event in Pete’s life that is probably less important to him.” Seeger made no acceptance speech. Instead he led a sing-a-long of “Goodnight Irene,” with others.

Music was important to Pete Seeger, but just as important were the causes he championed; workers, Civil Rights, the environment and peace. In 2011 with two canes, he joined the Occupy Wall Street Movement  and told The Associated Press, “Be wary of great leaders. Hope that there are many, many small leaders.” Much of Pete Seeger’s performances helped causes he believed in and he often donated the money to the cause. I’ve been a fan of his for years so knew a lot about him, but I learned so much more about this amazing man from the articles I’ve been reading since he died. He lived a full life with dedication to what he loved, with humor, and with an unbelievable energy almost to the end. In fact, his grandson said he was chopping wood ten days before he died.

I only saw Pete Seeger live once at Cuyahoga Valley National Park at a Folk Concert. There were different acts, but I only remember Seeger’s and Joan Baez’s.  Seeger was close to 80 then, but he was so energetic and had the crowd singing with him and he even danced a jig.  Baez sang “Amazing Grace” a cappella. On that starry night her voice echoed back from the hills.

I’m going to miss this guitar playing, banjo picking troubadour who sang for causes he believed in and because he loved singing. Even more he loved singing with an audience that joined in. But I’m fortunate that I can still listen to his music on CD’s or You Tube as I have been these last few days, and I’m glad there was a Pete Seeger, who never gave up on the fight for what he believed in; peace, justice and the rights of the little guy.

What singers do you admire and why?