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)
Andorra
Pete Seeger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to go to Andorra, Andorra, Andorra,
I want to go to Andorra, it's a place that I adore,
They spent four dollars and ninety cents
On armaments and their defense,
Did you ever hear of such confidence?
Andorra, hip hurrah!
There's an independent state,
Its population five thousand souls,
And I think they're simply great.
One hundred and seventy square miles big
And it's awfully dear to me.
Spends less than five dollars on armaments,
And this I've got to see.
It's governed by a council,
All gentle souls and wise,
They've only five dollars for armaments
And the rest for cakes and pies.
They didn't invest in a tommy gun
Or a plane to sweep the sky,
But they bought some blanks for their cap pistols
To shoot on their Fourth of July.
They live by the arts of farm and field
And by making shoes and hats,
And they haven't got room in their tiny land
For a horde of diplomats;
They haven't got room in their tiny land
For armies to march about,
And if anyone comes with a war budget
They throw the rascals out.
I wandered clown by the Pentagon
This newspaper clipping in hand
I said, "I want to see everyone
In McNamara's band."
I said, "Look what they did in Andorra,
They put us all to shame.
The least is first, the biggest is last,
Let's get there just the same."
The general said, "My dear boy,
You just don't understand.
We need these things to feel secure
In our great and wealthy land."
I said, "If security's what you need
I'll buy a couch for you,
A headshrinker is cheaper and quicker
And a damn site safer too."
Pete Seeger's song "Andorra" is a tribute to the tiny country located in the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France. The song highlights the country's independence and peaceful existence. The chorus emphasizes Seeger's desire to visit Andorra, singing "I want to go to Andorra, it's a place that I adore." The lyrics remind listeners that the country only spends five dollars on armaments and defense, in contrast to more prominent countries that invest in military might.
Seeger highlights that the country is run by a council that has only gentle and wise members rather than a powerful military. The population is small, and people make their living through farming or making shoes and hats. The song also points out that the country has no room for diplomats or armies to march through, making it impossible for them to develop an arms race. The song suggests that Andorra's example could serve as a role model for larger countries with bigger military spending, such as the United States, who should invest in peace instead of weapons.
Overall, the song is a strong critique of military spending and a call for peace. Seeger urges people to take inspiration from the example of Andorra and invest more in civilian needs, such as healthcare and education, rather than weapons.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to go to Andorra, Andorra, Andorra,
The singer expresses a strong desire to visit Andorra.
I want to go to Andorra, it's a place that I adore,
The singer adores Andorra and longs to explore its beauty.
They spent four dollars and ninety cents
Andorra only spends a meager amount on armaments and defense.
On armaments and their defense,
Andorra only spends a small amount of money on fortifying itself from potential threats.
Did you ever hear of such confidence?
The singer is impressed by Andorra's confidence despite its limited defenses.
Andorra, hip hurrah!
The singer cheers for Andorra.
In the mountains of the Pyrenees
Andorra is located in the Pyrenees Mountains.
There's an independent state,
Andorra is a sovereign nation.
Its population five thousand souls,
Andorra has a population of approximately five thousand individuals.
And I think they're simply great.
The singer holds positive regard for Andorra and its people.
One hundred and seventy square miles big
Andorra has a total area of one hundred and seventy square miles.
And it's awfully dear to me.
The singer holds Andorra dear to their heart.
Spends less than five dollars on armaments,
Andorra only spends a small fraction of its budget on military capability.
And this I've got to see.
The singer is eager to witness Andorra's unique approach to national defense.
It's governed by a council,
Andorra has a council-based system of governance.
All gentle souls and wise,
Andorra's leaders are described as benevolent and intelligent.
The rest for cakes and pies.
Andorra allocates the majority of its budget towards non-military endeavors such as food and other essentials.
They didn't invest in a tommy gun
Andorra chose not to invest in firearms such as the tommy gun.
Or a plane to sweep the sky,
Andorra does not invest in expensive military technology such as planes.
But they bought some blanks for their cap pistols
Instead of spending significant amounts on weapons, Andorra purchases blank ammunition for use in cap pistols.
To shoot on their Fourth of July.
The blank ammunition is used for celebrations during the fourth of July.
They live by the arts of farm and field
Andorra's economy revolves around farming and other traditional practices.
And by making shoes and hats,
The craftsmanship of shoemaking and hatmaking is also a part of Andorra's economy.
And they haven't got room in their tiny land
Andorra's land area is too small to accommodate large armies or diplomatic corps.
For a horde of diplomats;
Andorra does not have the capacity to host large numbers of diplomats.
They haven't got room in their tiny land
Again, the singer emphasizes the minimal land area of Andorra.
For armies to march about,
A lack of space prevents Andorra from hosting military trains or exercises.
And if anyone comes with a war budget
Andorra does not prioritize military spending in its budget.
They throw the rascals out.
Andorra's leadership does not tolerate foreign entities pressuring them to increase military spending.
I wandered clown by the Pentagon
The singer walked near the Pentagon, implying they are a pacifist who opposes military intervention.
This newspaper clipping in hand
The singer is holding a newspaper clipping, likely containing information about Andorra's defense spending.
I said, "I want to see everyone
The singer demands to speak to everyone involved in the Pentagon and US military operations.
In McNamara's band."
The singer specifically wants to meet Robert Strange McNamara, the US Secretary of Defense from 1961-1968.
I said, "Look what they did in Andorra,
The singer brings up Andorra's lean military spending as an example for the US military complex to follow.
They put us all to shame.
The singer believes Andorra's model of minimal military spending is superior to the US's military interventionist policies.
The least is first, the biggest is last,
The singer praises Andorra's humble approach to governance which values basic needs over military power.
Let's get there just the same."
The singer suggests the US should follow in Andorra's footsteps regarding military spending and policies.
The general said, "My dear boy,
The military officer rejects the singer's proposal to adopt Andorra's model of national security.
You just don't understand.
The officer insinuates that the singer's pacifist views are naive and unrealistic.
We need these things to feel secure
The officer argues that the US needs a strong military presence to achieve a sense of security.
In our great and wealthy land."
The US is a dominant and affluent world power according to the officer, and needs a big military to maintain that status.
I said, "If security's what you need
The singer counters the officer's stance by suggesting that a mental health professional is a better option for achieving national security than military intervention.
I'll buy a couch for you,
The singer further suggests investing in mental health professionals to bolster national security.
A headshrinker is cheaper and quicker
Mental health professionals are a more affordable and efficient means of achieving security than the military according to the singer.
And a damn site safer too."
The singer believes that relying less on military power for defense is a safer option in the long run.
Contributed by Sarah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@alvarodearaujo
Great Man, Great song & Great Small Country.
@douglasshane3491
Uncommon sense! Hip hip hooray!
@masonny3447
The great small nation ❤ We spent there 1 and half hours! We loved it 🇦🇩
@jbn4026
my country <3
@mikelisacarb
Great song!
@SummerHillMusic
I got to meet him as a boy - what a fine human being...
@dtedfontenot
Many think he treated Bob Dylan despicably at Newport. I wonder if they were on speaking terms when he died.
@addykelle993
Brilliant!!
@stevesedberry
This song is actually by Pete Seeger's friend, Malvina Reynolds.
@semtexwiller
deserves more views