Turn! Turn! Turn!

Pete Seeger created this complex song simply by adding a title, concluding line and music to verses from the biblical Book of Ecclesiates. Here is the the Byrd's (most popular) version.  

The Story of American Folk Music

This telling begins with John Lomax and Huddie Ledbetter, then moves on to Woody Guthrie, the seeds of the protest movement, Pete Seeger and left politics.

Tidbits - February 20, 2014

Portside
Reader Comments - Keystone XL; Sid Caesar; Venezuela; UAW and Volkswagen; Bernie Sanders Run for President?; Chris Hedges; Nixon, Reagan and Sabotage of Peace; Healthcare; Love and Loneliness; Song for Pete Seeger; Announcements: -Remembering Freedom Summer and the Civil Rights Era - New York - Feb. 22; Teleconference on 'Moving Beyond Capitalism' - Feb. 24

Pete Seeger: In His Own Words

Legendary folksinger Pete Seeger spoke at the National Press Club in 1998 on song, politics, environment, civil rights ... and why there is hope.

Tidbits - February 13, 2014

Portside
Reader Comments - Cecily McMillan Update - Occupy Activist Faces Seven Years in Jail - Trial Postponed to March 3rd; Africa; Latin America; Learning from History; Slavery; UAW Campaign at Volkswagen; Amiri Baraka; Pete Seeger memories; Announcements - CISPES Delegation to El Salvador; Workers Get a Cut on Powell Books purchases; New Video - The USA's new underclass; Labor Notes conference - April 4 - 6 - Early bird discount

Friday Nite Videos -- Feb 7, 2014

Portside
Portrait of a Haitian Graffiti Artist. What Did You Learn in School Today? Where Have All the Flowers Gone? Woody Guthrie Sez What Songs He Hates.

What Did You Learn in School Today?

Pete Seeger sings Tom Paxton's song live on the "Tonight In Person" Show (1964). 
 
I learned that Washington never told a lie.
I learned that soldiers seldom die.
I learned that everybody's free.
And that's what the teacher said to me.
That's what I learned in school today.
That's what I learned in school.
 

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

Perhaps Pete Seeger's best known song, composed shortly before Pete was cited for contempt of Congress in 1956 (373 to 9) for refusal to cooperate with HUAC. Pete and Arlo Guthrie here perform it live at Wolftrap. Where Have All the Flowers Gone has been performed in at least 25 languages.

Woody Guthrie Sez What Songs He Hates

Woody Guthrie's declaration about songs that tear people down, and songs that give people strength. Studs Terkel with Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, and Fred Hellerman. An excerpt from a 1976 PBS tribute to Woody Guthrie.

Tidbits - February 6, 2014

Portside
Reader Comments - Pete Seeger; Jews and Mayor de Blasio; Atlanta; NSA; Staples & Postal Jobs; Minimum Wage; Wars of Reconstruction; Brooklyn College CWE; Drugs and Philip Seymour Hoffman; Christie Scandal; Unions and Keystone Pipeline; Announcements - New Music Video-Close Guantanamo; Egyptian Revolution in Perspective -NYC-Feb 8; Fight Against VEOLIA Privatization -SF-Feb 8; Book Signing-William L. Patterson bio -LA-Feb 11; Labor - A Poor People's Movement -NYC-Feb 21
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