Tom Morello Remembers Pete Seeger: 'He Had a Backbone of Steel'

[n2doc]

By Tom Morello
January 29, 2014 4:30 PM ET

The E Street Band played "We Shall Overcome" in Cape Town, South Africa last night, and it was a tearjerker. Pete Seeger was 94 years old and lived a remarkable life. There's a temptation to go, "Do not weep for Pete Seeger." But I did weep for him, because we could use 94 more years of a guy like that.

Pete was a friendly acquaintance of mine. I had the opportunity to duet with him on his last record on a song called "A More Perfect Union." Being able to stand on stage with him at the Newport Folk Festival singing "We Shall Overcome" and "This Land is Your Land" are moments now that I will treasure forever.

But my favorite Pete Seeger moment in history is when he was booked on the Smothers Brothers Show. The network initially canceled his performance because of his political affiliations. But the Smothers Brothers stood up for him. Months later, they had him on to play "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy." Check it out on YouTube: it is as angry as any Rage Against the Machine song. With poetic, razor-like precision, he vivisects the cruel foolishness of the Vietnam War – all with one banjo and one vision for a better world that he was willing to put himself on the line for. It's something that I return to for inspiration in my own work.

He sort of became this kindly grandfather figure of Sixties feel-good nonviolence in popular culture, but Pete Seeger was a threat. He always declared himself a communist with a lower-case "c." He was this sort of gentle grandfather with a backbone of steel who was going to put a chokehold on the powers that be until they relented. That guy was no joke. He was a hardcore badass when he stood up to House Un-American Activities Committee, saying, "How dare you question my Americanism because I play music for people whose politics are different than yours?" Yet he played lovely, gentle songs at countless pre-schools for toddlers. He was a unique, spectacular combination of things I doubt we'll ever see again.



Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-morello-remembers-pete-seeger-he-had-a-backbone-of-steel-20140129

[Scuba]

1. Kick for two freedom fighters.

[spanone]

2. k&r...

[randr]

3. Morello is a major player

Check out his web site: http://www.nightwatchmanmusic.com/
He joins Springstein and the E-Street on the new "High Hopes" CD and they knock it out of the park.
His "Axis of Justice" radio show is a must listen on Pacifica for progressives.

[adirondacker]

7. Thanks for that! I'll definitley purchase the CD as soon as I can swing it. nt

[Skittles]

8. Tom is a testament to his wonderful mum

yes INDEED
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Morello

[FailureToCommunicate]

4. Any pal of Pete's is okay in my book. Though Pete would say his inner strenght came from

"a lot of chopping wood".


Thanks, n2doc, for posting this tribute.

[DinahMoeHum]

5. 7 Reasons Pete Seeger Was A Badass. . .

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/7-reasons-pete-seeger-was-a-badass-20140128

[malaise]

6. This

He was a hardcore badass when he stood up to House Un-American Activities Committee, saying, "How dare you question my Americanism because I play music for people whose politics are different than yours?" Yet he played lovely, gentle songs at countless pre-schools for toddlers. He was a unique, spectacular combination of things I doubt we'll ever see again.


Rec

[1000words]

9. Morello is no slouch, himself.

De la Rocha, either.