Dear "Old Folkie"!

They say: everyone is a communist at 20; but most give up being one by the time one's 25!

Why this is so, is easy to understand: At 20, everyone wants to change the world; at 25, most of us realise that it's not going to work; that's the usual story.

Rarely does one hear of someone, who wanted to become a hermit at 16, and continues to remain one even at the age of 85! Rarely one reads about a fella, who had the guts to oppose McCarthyism with steadfast determination.

How often does one read of a Commie, who confesses that "I apologize for following the party line so slavishly, for not seeing that Stalin was a supremely cruel misleader.", or is realistic enough to say the following:

"I still call myself a communist, because communism is no more what Russia made of it than Christianity is what the churches make of it. But if by some freak of history communism had caught up with this country, I would have been one of the first people thrown in jail." ?

And how often does one read something like the following said about a guy:

"Perhaps no single person in the 20th century has done more to preserve, broadcast, and redistribute folk music than him(sic), whose passion for politics, the environment, and humanity have earned him both ardent fans and vocal enemies since he first began performing in the late '30s. His never ending battle against injustice led to his being blacklisted during the McCarthy era, celebrated during the turbulent '60s, and welcomed at union rallies throughout his life. His tireless efforts regarding global concerns such as environmentalism, population growth, and racial equality have earned him the respect and friendship of such political heroes as Martin Luther King, Jr., Woody Guthrie, and Cesar Chavez, and the generations of children who first learned to sing and clap to Seeger's Folkways recordings must number in the millions. Rising above all of Seeger's political ideals and his passion for authentic folk music is his clear voice and chiming banjo which both sing out with a clarity that rings true."?

Fortunately, Our dear "Old Folkie" is all of these and more.
___________________________________________________________________
"Old Folkie"
*************
-Harry Chapin

He's the man with the banjo and the 12-string guitar.
And he's singing us the songs that tell us who we are.
When you look in his eyes you know that somebody's in there.
Yeah, he knows where we're going and where we been
And how the fog is gettin' thicker where the future should begin.
When you look at his life you know that he's really been there.
Still, what is the name that they're calling that man?
What is the name that they're calling that man?
You know, it's always the Old Folkie
They say he's always bleedin'
But whenever somebody's needing him,
He's the one who cares.
It's always the Old Folkie
Whenever somethin's burning,
Or a lesson needs some learning,
Or a tide that needs some turning,
To a better world somewhere,
Yeah, the Old Folkie's there.
Yeah, for forty years now he's been pushin' on.
Carrying the dream 'cause Woody's long gone.
He's the last voice singing that Bound for Glory song.
And if you never seen him you might take a look
He's the man who put the meaning in the music book.
Yeah, the world may be tired but Pete's still going strong.
Still, what is the name that they're calling that man?
What is the name that they're calling that man?
You know, it's always the Old Folkie
They say he's always bleedin'
But whenever somebody's needing him,
He's the one who cares
It's always the Old Folkie:'
Whenever somethin's burning,
Or a lesson needs some learning,
Or a tide that needs some turning,
To a better world somewhere, Yeah, the Old Folkie's there.
What is the name that they're calling that man?
What is the name that they're calling that man?
You know, it's always the Old Folkie
Singing for some hopeless cause.
Shouting at the mountain top
The wind is his only applause.
It's always the Old Folkie
We don't know what we're missing
'Cause nobody ever listens,
'Cept the lovers as they're kissin'
Oh, he's singing for them somewhere.
Yeah, the Old Folkie's there. The Old Folkie's there.

(Pete Seeger in New York, August, 2004)

Note: One may have a look at the excellent website, www.peteseeger.net for more info.
___________________________________________________________________

Note: Materials from websites such as IMDB.com, lyrics.duble.com, Wkipedia.org and MP3.com, have been used for this posting.

Acknowledgements:
www.moorsmagazine.com/images/peteseeger.jpg; for the first picture
www.counterpunch.org/Pete_at_NYC_demo.jpg; for the second picture