The Weavers, the commie bastards!
When I look at Pete Seeger’s face I still see it. That smile, the easy going smile of experience. The one that’s seen almost a hundred years of struggle, and I’m abashed and ashamed. It’s seems almost super-human to go through what he has and just keep singing.
His songs, and those of the Weavers, were just happy, hopeful songs. Blacklisted in the 50’s, crushed out of really, really successful careers and then coming back to sing in Carnegie Hall of all places, three years later to the resounding cheers of a packed house. Is that’s what’s behind that smile, the joy of a life well lived? To know that all who followed after, The Kingston trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan and hundreds of others, known and unknown following the same path of song in the face of adversity?
It’s a quality of some humans that I admire, perhaps because it’s one I often lack. My anger at injustice often gets the better of me, I can be tenacious but not always kind and smiling. I do know the better path even if I can’t seem to tread it often as often as I should.
That crowd at Carnegie wasn’t cowed by the cries of “Communism.” They bought their tickets, took their seats and brought back the Weavers from blacklisted doom. Even though it was the Blacklisters that fell to shame, the group was never again as big, or famous as once was destined but they were justified, and they did keep smiling. Better maybe than ever before.
Old socialists never die, it seems.
It’s something to think about today, when times are tough and the forces of fear and distrust seem to wax more frightening every day. Pete slays them with that easy-going smile, he’s seen it before. He never stopped his happy war against distrust and anger. Even today you can motor idly by the Clearwater, his tall ship that sails the Hudson it’s helped to scrub clean, and maybe even hear a few bars of “This land is your land…”
The songs of Unions, the songs of country, America and others. The songs of hope through tragedy, and perseverance through indomitable odds. That’s all those songs were about. As much as those who cried “Communist!” sought to poison the thought of those simple, happy folk singers, the songs remained clear. They were a testament to the resilience of regular, ordinary people. Their ability to somehow float free of the wreckage of power games and begin again, over and over throughout time. That’s what the audience at Carnegie wanted to hear, that was what those who followed wanted to sing about as well. It’s what we all really want to hear. It’s why fear never works for very long.
Who wins?........Well, who's smiling?
Humans know the thoughtful, understanding smile says it best. That’s why people like Pete still pluck their banjo’s and croak out a tune that spreads that smile around the whole crowd. There’s not really anything to be afraid of, nothing that we all haven’t dealt with before, and lots to be hopeful about. It’s all a matter of trying again, one more time, just like the Weavers did in 1953.
Copyright Prentiss Gray 2011
Prentiss Gray is a writer and columnist and currently writes the Domesti-Tech Blog for Gannett. He can be reached through his website at www.prentissgray.com
Prentiss Gray
Prentiss Gray is a writer/columnist/blogger from New Jersey. After 27 years as a Information Systems consultant and the death of his wife of 21 years, he returned to his roots as a writer, creating the national column Adventures of the Lone Dad/ Daddy chronicles. He now Blogs for Gannet on domestic technology, and writes feature pieces and stories for general publication. He is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and contributes to Bloomberg News, Daily Record, Gannett and the Tribune Syndicate.
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Ah, the 1950s – the last decade of the 78 rpm record and the first (of but few decades) of the 45 rpm record. Pertinent to your piece, Prentiss, I have in my collection two 78s by The Weavers: THE ROVING KIND/THE WRECK OF THE JOHN B (1950) and ON TOP OF OLD SMOKY/ACROSS THE WIDE MISSOURI (1951), not to mention The Kingston Trio’s 45 rpm hit TOM DOOLEY. But my favorite group was Peter, Paul and Mary – it’s good to see ol’ Pete still poppin’ up on PBS now and then – still the happy warrior. Great nostalgia….but more than that, great music.
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I was listening to “Allentown” today while in the car and wondering why that song didn’t come back for a stint during the last 2 years. Seems very apropos to me. I count songs like that as protest songs, right up there with “Charlie and the MTA.”
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When I saw the feed on Facebook Prentiss I wasn’t sure it this was going to be about “The Weavers” or something to do with looms. Nonetheless I knew if Prentiss Gray had something to say about weavers it was bound to be interesting.
I of course know of The Weavers and who doesn’t know Pete Seeger or his smile well maybe someone who is 10 years old today wouldn’t know who either of them is. I guess of all of them Pete Seeger is better known. I had to Google them to learn the names of the others; Ronnie Gilbert, Lee Hays and Fred Hellerman. My generation is more familiar with the Kingston Trio, Peter Paul and Mary, Odetta and Joan Baez but just barely, we are of the Motown generation but enjoyed Novella Nelson and Nina Simone. Fortunately my peers and I grew up in a community of artists so “Bohemians” were all around us. Remember that term and “Beatniks”? I have no idea what differentiates the two except I always thought “Bohemians” were “cool” and more sophisticated.
Sad isn’t it how those who least deserve to suffer do and those who deserve to don’t? Wonder what force determines that.
Nicely don Prentiss.
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Let us not neglect to mention another great folk singer who came along in the sixties, Richie Havens (born in Brooklyn!). I just happened to tune in an old PBS “Pledge Week” special yesterday featuring Peter, Paul and Mary, and there were Pete and Richie singing, as a duet, a great song I hadn’t heard before. What an unexpected treat!
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Richie Havens! I haven’t heard that name in years. Although I did watch a couple of his performances after reading your comment. Still great, still powerful and still hasn’t learned to play the guitar. Or a better way to say it, he doesn’t play like anyone else. He just picks it up and slams sounds out of it and somehow it all works.
Thanks Kaye.
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OH Yeah Richie Havens !
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Does he do that Prentiss?
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I was more into Motown and Atlantic, no so much the British Invasion, Folk or Surf music. But I do know who Pete Seeger is… What is funny though is songs that are now classified as old country songs, were once considered “Pop” such as Patsy Cline… good article
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