Pete Seeger, who died earlier this week at age 94, is being remembered as a social activist and folk musician. There is no question about Seeger's importance in the history of American folk music. He's a huge part of the soundtrack of my life. Even so, I'm remembering him most as a man who thought a lot about what it takes to save the world. That's something worth noting because it's not every day you come across a man interested in saving the world.
Saving the world is why Seeger loved folk music. More than the music, he loved the way music lifted and communicated words, ideas, dreams, hopes, and the human spirit. Seeger was an artist, but he harnessed every artistic impulse he had to serve his longing to save humanity. He loved music because he understood it had the power to bring people together, to articulate hope, to challenge power, to nurture kindness, to break down barriers, and to build community––all things he believed could change and save the world.
If Pete "had a hammer," he'd hammer in the morning and the evening all over this land. "If he had a bell," he'd do the same. What he had most often was a "song to sing," and he sang about "justice, freedom, and love between his brothers and his sisters." What made him special is that he actually believed that the world could be saved and he wanted to see it saved, and that inspires me.
Washington Post - Seeger, legendary folksinger dies at 94
For a couple years now, I've had a "Pete Seeger Radio" station that I've been grooming on Pandora. Inspiring indeed.
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