Pete Seeger, 1919-2014

[mrissa]

I never met the man, but you can spot him at whatever age. Whether you’re watching the Weavers videos from 1951 or the concerts before the first Obama inauguration in January of 2009, Pete led with his grin. You can see immediately that it’s the same guy because he’s lifting his chin and grinning in the same way. With so many 94-year-olds, you’d say, well, he had a good run, or, I guess he was about done, it was time for a rest. But with Pete, no; with Pete there was still so much to do. There was always so much to do.

Because Pete Seeger was one of those people who appeared to honestly and truly believe in improving the world. All the way through. He was blacklisted and shut out for so many years after the HUAC testimony, and he kept on singing about making the world a better place, and he kept on making the world a better place. I’m a Gen Xer, the young end of Gen X; grunge and cynicism are my coming-of-age music. Also I am not a fan of the banjo. But in college I discovered Pete Seeger, and I just couldn’t resist. Fell in love with the Peteness right away. And when you hear him in person, as we did in 2011, when you hear him sing “We Shall Overcome”–not only do you believe for a minute that we shall, but for a minute you can even believe in we. Even if you’re a congenitally grumpy Xer. Because Pete.

Just last week, Timprov and I were driving home with four new tires and zero new photos (…long story), and I asked what he wanted on the CD player. And he said, “I don’t care…wait, have we got More Together Again?” And we did, so we put it in: Pete with his grandson Tao and Arlo Guthrie and other musicians they know and like. And we sang along all the way home, “Midnight Special” and “Abiyoyo” and “Guantanamera” and “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” and “This Land Is Your Land,” all of it, all of it, through the dark night home with Pete.

Edited to add: I realized the obvious thing to link. Here, have Precious Friend.

Comments

[casacorona.livejournal.com]

If I had to hear that Pete Seeger was dead, which is awful, I'm glad to hear it first from you, in this way.

[carbonel]

Thanks for letting me know.

I'm a child of the 1960s, and pretty much grew up with Pete Seeger. I heard him on the local radio folk show I listened to whenever I could. I sang his music at summer camp.

All my life, he was there. And now he isn't.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

But he is. He's there within you. I know that sounds like a platitude, but there are so many of us who grew up with Pete Seeger music, who heard of his blacklisting and his music with the Weavers and by himself...we all have Pete in our heads and our hearts. like mrissa said about him, in the dark night he will lead us home. And mrissa, this is one of the sweetest obits I've read for this man who led with his grin. Thank you.

[laurel]

Wah! He was supposed to live forever or at least a while longer.

It wasn't that many months ago that I was still seeing delighted posts from musicians I follow when they got a chance to play with Pete at some concert or another.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

"Forever or at least awhile longer" was my vote for Pete and is my vote for several other people also.

Do not approve am not resigned.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I met him a few times actually, through my family folk-royalty connections. Every memory is that he was fully genuine in each interaction.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

You are very lucky.

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

I cannot listen to Precious Friend at work as I will cry, but yes, thank you.

Respect, Mr. Seeger.

[blue-hat-guru.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

Well said. I grew up with his music, which maybe kept me from a certain degree of generationally-expected cynicism.