As a member of The Weavers, Seeger had a string of hits, including a 1949 recording of Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene" that topped the charts for 13 weeks in 1950. He was formerly a member of the Communist Party of the United States of America and was a major contributor to folk and protest music in the 1950s and the 1960s.
Perhaps best known today as the author or co-author of the songs Where Have All the Flowers Gone, If I Had a Hammer, and Turn, Turn, Turn, songs that have been recorded by many artists both in and outside the folk revival movement and which are still sung all over the world. Flowers was a hit recording for The Kingston Trio (1962), Marlene Dietrich, who recorded it in English, German and French (1962), and Johnny Rivers (1965). "If I Had a Hammer" was a hit for Peter, Paul & Mary (1962) and Trini Lopez (1963), while The Byrds popularized "Turn, Turn, Turn" in the mid-1960s.
Early work
Seeger dropped out of Harvard (where he had been studying journalism) in 1939, and he took a job in Washington, D.C. at the Archive of American Folk Song in the Library of Congress. In that capacity, he met and was influenced by many important musicians such as Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly. He met Woody at a "Grapes of Wrath" migrant workers concert on March 3, 1940 and the two thereafter began a musical collaboration.
In 1948, Seeger wrote the first version of his now-classic How to Play the Five-String Banjo, a book that many banjo players credit with starting them off on the instrument. He went on to invent the Long Neck or Seeger banjo. This instrument is three frets longer than a typical banjo, and slightly longer than a bass guitar at 25 Frets, and is tuned a minor third lower than the normal 5-string banjo.
As a self-described "split tenor" (between an alto and a tenor), he was a founding member of the folk groups the Almanac Singers with Woody Guthrie and the Weavers with Lee Hays, Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman. The Weavers had major hits in the early 1950s, before being blacklisted in the McCarthy Era.
On August 18, 1955, Pete was subpoenaed to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) where he refused to name personal and political associations stating it would violate his First Amendment rights... "I am not going to answer any questions as to my association, my philosophical or religious beliefs or my political beliefs, or how I voted in any election, or any of these private affairs. I think these are very improper questions for any American to be asked, especially under such compulsion as this." Seeger's refusal to testify led to a March 26, 1957 indictment for contempt of Congress; for some years, he had to keep the federal government apprised of where he was going any time he left the Southern District of New York. He was convicted in a jury trial in March 1961, and sentenced to a year in jail, but in May 1962 an appeals court ruled the indictment to be flawed and overturned his conviction.
Seeger started a solo career in 1958, and is known for songs such as "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?," "If I Had a Hammer" (co-written with Lee Hays), "Turn, Turn, Turn," adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes, and "We Shall Overcome" (based on a spiritual and later became the unofficial anthem for the civil rights movement). Seeger became influential in the 1960s folk revival centered in Greenwich Village. He helped found Broadside Magazine and Sing Out!. He was strongly associated with Moses Asch and Folkways Records. To describe the new crop of folk singers, many of whom were politically minded in their songs, he coined the phrase "Woody's children", alluding to his former bandmate Woody Guthrie, who by this time had become a legendary figure. He has often sung and is associated with the song "Joe Hill".
In the mid-sixties he hosted a regional folk music TV show called Rainbow Quest which featured folk musicians playing traditional folk music. Among his guests were Johnny Cash, June Carter, Mississippi John Hurt, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Roscoe Holcomb, The Stanley Brothers, Doc Watson, Tom Paxton, Judy Collins, Richard Fariña and Mimi Fariña, and many others. Thirty-eight hour-long programs were recorded at new UHF station WNJU's Newark studios in 1965 and 1966, produced by Seeger and his wife Toshi with Sholom Rubinstein.
An early advocate of Bob Dylan, Seeger was supposedly incensed over the distorted electric sound Dylan brought into the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, especially with the inability to clearly hear the lyrics. There are many conflicting versions of exactly what ensued, some claiming that he actually tried to disconnect the equipment. He is often cited as one of the main opponents to Dylan at Newport 1965, but claimed in 2005:
"There are reports of me being anti-him going electric at the '65 Newport Folk festival, but that's wrong. I was the MC that night. He was singing 'Maggie's Farm' and you couldn't understand a word because the mic was distorting his voice. I ran to the mixing desk and said, 'Fix the sound, it's terrible!' The guy said 'No, that's how they want it.' And I did say that if I had an axe I'd cut the cable! But I wanted to hear the words. I didn't mind him going electric.
Later work
Seeger achieved some notoriety in 1967 and 1968 for his song "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy", about a captain—a "big fool"—who drowned while leading a platoon on maneuvers in Louisiana during World War II. Seeger performed the song on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour after some arguments with CBS about whether the song's lyrics were objectionable. Although the song was cut from the Smothers Brothers show in September 1967, Seeger returned in January 1968 and sang the entire song. It was clearly an allegory about the U.S. under the leadership of Lyndon Johnson which was in over its head in the Vietnam War.
Another slight against Lyndon Johnson can be heard in his singing of Len Chandler's seemingly juvenile song, "Beans in My Ears" from his 1966 album Dangerous Songs!? in which he accuses "Mrs. Jay's little son Alby" (Alby Jay is meant to sound like LBJ) of having beans in his ears, or of not listening to the people.
In 1998 a double-CD tribute album was released - "Where Have All the Flowers Gone: the Songs of Pete Seeger". It contained contributions from Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Ani DiFranco, Billy Bragg, Eliza Carthy, Bruce Springsteen, Roger McGuinn, Judy Collins, Indigo Girls, Dick Gaughan, Martin Simpson, Odetta and others.
Pete Seeger still performed occasionally in public until his death, and for a number of years appeared at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough Tennessee to tell stories, mostly children's stories such as Abiyoyo. He performed at MerleFest April 27-30, 2006 in Wilkesboro, NC.
On March 16, 2007, the 88-year old Pete Seeger performed with his siblings Mike Seeger and Peggy Seeger, and other Seeger family members at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where he had been employed as a folk song archivist 67 years earlier.
In April 2006, Bruce Springsteen released a collection of songs associated with Seeger or in Seeger's folk tradition, We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Bruce Springsteen performed a series of concerts based on those sessions, to sellout crowds. Springsteen had previously recorded one Seeger favorite, "We Shall Overcome," on the 1998 "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" tribute album.
Seeger lived in the hamlet of Dutchess Junction in the Town of Fishkill, NY and remained very politically active in the Hudson Valley Region of New York, especially in the near-by City of Beacon, NY. He and Toshi purchased their land in 1949, and lived there first in a trailer, then in a log cabin they built themselves, and eventually in a larger house. Seeger joined the Community Church (a church practicing Unitarian Universalism), is considered a famous Unitarian Universalist, and often performed at functions for the Unitarian Universalist Association.
Seeger died in 2014 of natural causes.
Awards
Seeger has been the recipient of many awards and recognitions throughout his career, including:
A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1993)
The National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts (1994)
Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Honor (1994)
The Harvard Arts Medal (1996)
Induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1996)
Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album of 1996 for his record "Pete" (1997)
All Over The World
Pete Seeger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And all over the world
People were singing and carrying signs
All over the world
Everybody walking hand in hand
Through cities that I've been
And though I'm not there tonight
I'll be back again, I'll be back again
I'm on a plane tonight for Germany
And all over the world
There are lots of people just like you and me
All over the world
Who know the bomb must never fall again
All over the world
And we must all learn how to live as friends
All over the world
All over the world, all over the world
We are making the news tonight
All over the world
Because we know that what we do is right
All over the world
Everybody walking hand in hand
All over the world
Through the streets of Europe and Japan
All over the world
All over the world, all over the world
The song "All Over The World" by Pete Seeger conveys a message of unity and peace that transcends borders and cultures. The singer begins by reflecting on watching the news and seeing people from all walks of life singing and carrying signs, symbolizing a universal desire for change and progress. This visualization of global activism highlights a shared human experience that is not confined to any specific location.
The lyrics emphasize the importance of solidarity and connection by expressing the notion of everyone walking hand in hand. This image suggests a collective effort towards a common goal, a vision of a world where divisions are dissolved and harmony prevails. It also speaks to the idea that the struggles faced by individuals in various cities are interconnected, bridging the gaps between different societies.
While the singer acknowledges their physical absence from the events happening around them, they convey a sense of assurance that they will return. This implies a commitment to the cause, hinting at the cyclical nature of activism and the belief that progress is an ongoing journey rather than a finite destination.
The song then shifts focus to the singer's personal journey, as they mention being on a plane bound for Germany. This serves as a metaphor for their physical movement in pursuit of their goals. However, the lyrics emphasize that this pursuit is not limited to one individual, but rather shared by countless others who are just like the singer. This realization of a global community further reinforces the message of unity and solidarity.
The song concludes by reiterating the fundamental principle that the bomb, representing violence and destruction, must never fall again. This sentiment extends beyond geographical borders, emphasizing the universal desire for peace. The lyrics also emphasize the need for collaboration and learning to live as friends, highlighting the importance of fostering understanding and empathy between people from different backgrounds and nations.
Overall, "All Over The World" conveys a powerful message of unity, activism, and a shared belief in creating a peaceful world. It encourages individuals to come together, regardless of their differences, in order to achieve positive change on a global scale.
Line by Line Meaning
I was watching the news tonight
As I sat down to watch the news, I observed the events happening around the world.
And all over the world
These events were not limited to just one place, but were occurring across the entire globe.
People were singing and carrying signs
In various regions, individuals expressed their thoughts and beliefs through songs and signs.
All over the world
Once again emphasizing the widespread nature of these expressions.
Everybody walking hand in hand
People from different backgrounds and cultures were peacefully joining together in unity.
Through cities that I've been
These cities held personal significance for me, as I have had the opportunity to visit them in the past.
And though I'm not there tonight
Although I am not physically present in those cities at this moment.
You know I'll be back again
Rest assured, I will return to those places in the future, continuing to support the cause or movement.
I'll be back again, I'll be back again
The repetition emphasizes my determination to revisit and contribute to those locations again.
I'm on a plane tonight for Germany
At present, I am traveling by plane towards Germany.
And all over the world
Similar to what I had observed before, events were taking place globally.
There are lots of people just like you and me
Among the crowds, there are numerous individuals who share similar thoughts and feelings to mine.
Who know the bomb must never fall again
These people understand that the use of bombs should never recur.
All over the world
Once more, highlighting the geographic extent of this awareness.
And we must all learn how to live as friends
A crucial lesson we should all grasp is the importance of living harmoniously with one another.
All over the world
Reiterating that this principle applies universally.
All over the world, all over the world
To emphasize the significant reach of our collective efforts and beliefs.
We are making the news tonight
Our actions and advocacies are currently becoming newsworthy.
All over the world
Once again, underscoring the global span of our impact.
Because we know that what we do is right
Our convictions stem from the firm belief that our actions are just and morally correct.
All over the world
Yet again highlighting the worldwide relevance of our cause.
Everybody walking hand in hand
People from all walks of life joining together and moving forward in solidarity.
All over the world
Confirming that this unity is not limited to a particular place or region.
Through the streets of Europe and Japan
In both Europe and Japan, individuals are peacefully marching through their streets.
All over the world
Once more, emphasizing the global nature of these peaceful demonstrations.
All over the world, all over the world
The repetition signifies the vast expanse and all-encompassing impact of our collective actions and ideals.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Downtown Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL FRISCH, CHARLES TOBIAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CaitlinBrooksMusic
French lyrics:
A tous et chacun dans le monde,
Je leur tend la main, je leur Donne la main.
A tous et chacun dans le monde,
Je leur tend la main comme ça.
Tous tous ensemble,
Au monde entier je chante,
C’est très facile entre humains
Avec un poignée de main,
N’importe où dans le monde on peut s’entendre.
@ripansarker7883
Great composition!
@mikemurphree1285
Thanks.
@johnsone9396
Thanks for the post, but ironically I like Raffi's version a bit more.
@skooby_doobie_doonkann3334
John S one i actually do too. The raffi version had a cool tune and I had it on cassette as a kid
@skooby_doobie_doonkann3334
I can actually say i enjoyed hearing this but it's the raffi version I'm most familiar with and i can honestly say i like the raffi version better
@marthamagee2055
Thanks for sharing. Not.
@skooby_doobie_doonkann3334
@Martha Magee A reason for why you don't appreciate my comment?