Pete Seeger , Symbol of Justice at 85

by John Pietaro

Befittingly, just as the workers’ commemoration of
May Day winds down, Pete Seeger celebrates another
birthday. Perhaps the only complaint is that Pete,
the personificartion of radical politics in music,
was not born but two days earlier!

Since 1940, Pete Seeger has been a tireless
performer of the protest song, focusing his
strongest efforts on that music which was created
by, for and about, the so-called common man. The
product of a Left-wing composer/musicologist father
and a classical violinist mother, Pete almost
singlehandedly resurrected, of all things, the 5-
string banjo and its application as a fiercely
American instrument derived from African origins
and developed by the sweat and blood of workers:
slaves, indentured servants, the poor. In his wake,
the 5-string banjo developed into an icon during
more than one "folk revival", first withstanding
elite dogmatism from within the Left, and then
the Right-wing assault of McCarthyism. Even Bob
Bylan’s decision to go electric. No matter what,
Pete and his music were always there. Are always
there.

Pete Seeger early on developed a strong kinship
with the political Left, slowly moving in as
progressives began to look about them and came to
understand that a US radical art must reflect
those its trying to reach. He began performing
for various events of radical Labor unions,
Communist-aligned cultural organizations, anti-fascist
collectives, American Labor Party rallies and then
later on in strong support of the civil rights,
environmental , women’s and peace movements. But it
was at the dawn of the 1940s, that Seeger
developed a partnership with Woody Guthrie in
several ventures, including inviting the latter to
join his group The Almanac Singers. The Almanacs,
credited with being the first urban folk-protest
group, begat The Weavers, a more defined ensemble.
The Weavers played to wider audiences but never
lost their progressive vision or call for activism,
even during such dangerous times as the reactionary
1950s. And then, Pete sang for college students
and children, when no one else cared to
listen...or, rather, when the Blacklist deprived
others of his talents. And when he could not
sing for them, he sang for the trees and forest
life about him. Seeger was hell-bent on allowing
music to touch deep, whether as a weapon or as a
healing force. Uniquely, he almost always achieved
both simultaneously.

By the time folk music became an area of
commercial success for the record business during
the 1960s, Seeger was seen as a founder, an elder,
but still a contemporary. If the forces of
reaction shut him out of broadcast television or
commercial radio, his voice resounded loudly as a
songwriter. Pete’s songs "Turn, Turn, Turn", "Where
Have All the Flowers Gone?", "If I Had A Hammer",
"The Bells of Rhymney", among others, were smashing
successes for other artists, all of whom paid
tribute to the composer (or co-composer, in some
cases) during their performances. As has been widely
reported, it was left to the Smothers Brothers
and their silly, irreverant but cutting- edge
television program, to break the Blacklist. When
the networks refused to allow Seeger on to perform
his "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy", a stinging
anti-war song driven by Pete’s grinding 12-string
acoustic guitar, the Brothers fought back. It may
have been a death-blow for their show, but they
ultimately prevailed; Seeger was seen by millions on
that historic night and the Blacklist, this
terribly fascistic device used to silence so many,
was effectively killed off.

During the course of his career, which will not
be written of in past tense, Pete Seeger has spread
the important messages contained in his core
belief system. In addition to the above listed
songs, he was composer of so many other topical
works. Perhaps more importantly, Seeger has made it
a mission to keep the older songs of struggle
alive, even through adversity. In performances all
over the world, Pete presents the songs of Woody
Guthrie, Labor bard (and martyr) Joe Hill, songs of
the slaves and the Native Americans, the Wobblies,
the immigrants, the farmers, the factory workers,
the lost union songs and those of many cultures.
It was his performance of Jose Marte’s
"Guantanamera", including a section in which he
translated the beautiful poetry of the great Cuban
writer, that led to its popularity. Pete taught us
traditional songs of the Spanish Civil War—in
Spanish. He sang the praises of Leadbelly, who
never got to hear his song "Goodnight Irene"
become a Weavers hit in 1951. Huddie "Leadbelly"
Ledbetter had died the year prior, but Seeger
made sure that his widow would continue to receive
royalties, as he did for the family of Solomon
Linda, the originator of "Wimoweh" (NOT ’The Lion
Sleeps Tonight’, Seeger always reminds us; this song
was not written for the Tokens who had the hit with
it, but by and for African people awaiting the
symbol of the lion to avenge the terrible
atrocities committed on that continent by
imperialists).

Pete Seeger, this man who performed with Woody
Guthrie in migrant camps, who helped organize unions
via music and conviction, who sang for peace when
it was not popular to do so and then fought the
fascists as a member of the US Army;

this man who founded The Almanac Singers, The
Weavers, People’s Songs, People’s Artists and stood
onstage with Paul Robeson during the concert which
became known as "The Peekskill Riot";

this man who braved the House Un-American
Activities Committee, who marched with Dr. King, who
inspired the formation of The SNCC Freedom Singers,
who is credited as one of the composers of "We
Shall Overcome", who sang against and powerfully
protested the Viet Nam war, who made ’Broadside’
magazine possible, who acted as a guide to the
environmentalist movement, who helped to physically
re-build the Sloop Clearwater and engage in the
clean-up of the Hudson River, who laid the path
for so many and whom has never stopped fighting
for justice should be seen by all as a symbol,
not just a singer.

Pete’s songs are truly the story of ’the folk’,
and so they tell the people’s story. Long before
Howard Zinn wrote his ’A People’s History of the
United States’, Pete Seeger sang it. Whether he’s
explaining just whom Casey Jones the Union Scab
was or asking the question "Which Side Are You
On?" or telling of the women workers’ struggle in
"Bread and Roses" or engaging in Leadbelly’s story
of racism that brings about "The Bourgeious
Blues", or singing the mournful anti- war "The
Crow on the Cradle", or offering an introspective
celebration of the earth in "Sailing Down My Golden
River", its all about us. All of us.

During the course of 45 years, Pete has not
relented. Though his performances are few and far
between these days due to the effects of aging,
his activism remains constant. Though he may
refrain from solo singing much of the time, he
revels in leading groups, particularly large
audiences, in song. And when he is asked to serve
as a guest speaker for a Labor, peace or other
human rights cause, he always does so with musical
instrument in hand. Pete Seeger stands then, now
and always as the very model of the cultural
worker. Taking the distant advice of Joe Hill, he
recognized long ago that more can be said in one
topical song than in a hundred pamphlets. But,
even in silence, Pete’s philosophy can be
understood by anyone who gets close enough to
read what he long ago adorned on his banjo head:
’This Machine Surrounds Hate and Forces It To
Surrender’.

Happy 85th birthday, Pete Seeger. May you continue
to grace us with your message and your presence
for many years to come.

In Solidarity,

John Pietaro