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)
Deliver the Goods
Pete Seeger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The butcher and the baker and the clerk in the store,
The guys who sail the ships and the guys who run the trains,
And the farmer raising wheat upon the Kansas plains.
[Chorus after each verse:]
The butcher, the baker, the tinker and the tailor,
We'll all work behind the soldier and sailor,
We'll all work together to deliver the goods.
I got a new job and I'm working overtime,
Turning out tanks on the assembly line,
Got to crank up the factories like the president said,
Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.
I bet this tank will look mighty fine,
Punching holes in Mr. Hitler's line,
And if Adolf wakes up after the raid,
He'll find every piece of shrapnel says "Union made."
From New York City to 'Frisco Bay,
We're speeding up production every day,
And every time a wheel goes 'round,
It carries Mr. Hitler to the burying ground.
Now me and my boss we never did agree,
If a thing helped him, then it didn't help me,
But when a burglar tries to bust into your house,
You stop fighting with the landlord and throw him out
Deliver the Goods is a patriotic song written by Pete Seeger during World War II, inspiring everyone from butchers and bakers to clerks in stores to come together and support their country. The song starts with Seeger reminding us of the importance of teamwork and how it's going to take every person to win this war. Seeger mentions the different vocations that contribute to their society's smooth functioning, from the guys who sail ships and run the trains to farmers raising wheat on the Kansas plains. The chorus after every verse mentions the different professions, including butchers, bakers, tinkers, tailors, workers in cities and woods, all working behind the soldiers and sailors.
In the subsequent verse, Seeger explains how he has started doing overtime and working on an assembly line manufacturing tanks while referring to President Roosevelt's request to increase the production of troops and ships. With the phrase "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead," Seeger urges everyone to expedite the production process to maintain the nation's pace during the wartime. The chorus reiterates that they will all work together to deliver the goods.
The song's last verse talks about how everyone, from New York City to Frisco Bay, is speeding up production every day. Seeger mentions that every rotation of a wheel carries Mr. Hitler to his burial ground, and he stresses the importance of putting personal disagreements aside and working together in troubled times. The song ends with the phrase "you stop fighting with the landlord and throw him out" to support unity in times of distress.
Line by Line Meaning
It's gonna take everybody to win this war,
Winning the war requires the collective effort of all individuals, including but not limited to the butcher, baker, clerk in the store, ship sailors, train runners, and farmers raising wheat upon the Kansas plains.
The butcher and the baker and the clerk in the store,
Every individual, regardless of their profession, need to contribute to the war effort for the country's victory.
The guys who sail the ships and the guys who run the trains,
The people who ensure the smooth transportation of goods and supplies across the country and overseas also play a crucial role during the war.
And the farmer raising wheat upon the Kansas plains.
The farmers who grow and provide the nation with essential crops such as wheat are also significant resources in this war effort.
The butcher, the baker, the tinker and the tailor,
Like the aforementioned professions, everyone from different walks of life should come together to support the soldiers and sailors in their fight for victory.
We'll all work behind the soldier and sailor,
While the soldiers and sailors fight at the forefront, other individuals, especially those in a non-military role such as the public and the workforce, will need to work behind the scenes in factories, farms, and transportation to support them.
We're working in the cities, we're working in the woods,
People from different regions of the country are stepping up and working together in various industries to help the war effort.
We'll all work together to deliver the goods.
Together, all individuals will contribute to the ultimate goal of delivering necessary supplies for the war effort.
I got a new job and I'm working overtime,
People are taking new jobs with extended working hours to contribute to the war effort.
Turning out tanks on the assembly line,
Manufacturing tanks, bombers, and other essential military machinery is a significant part of the war effort.
Got to crank up the factories like the president said,
Factories need to produce more than ever to provide the necessary supplies for the military for the war effort as instructed by the president.
Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.
No obstacle or challenge can hinder the nation's drive towards winning the war, especially when it comes to manufacturing.
I bet this tank will look mighty fine,
The produced tanks are of high quality and assurance of genuine craftsmanship.
Punching holes in Mr. Hitler's line,
The tanks and other military weaponry shall penetrate Hitler's line of defense.
And if Adolf wakes up after the raid,
Hitler shall face a substantial blow after the attack and the damage shall remain as evidence of victory.
He'll find every piece of shrapnel says 'Union made.'
The tank parts shall bear the symbol of union-made items, indicating the combined effort in building an efficient war machine.
From New York City to 'Frisco Bay,
The citizens from New York to San Francisco work relentlessly to manufacture quality goods towards the war effort.
We're speeding up production every day,
There's a necessity for an expedited pace for manufacturing to provide necessary supplies for the military and succeed in the war effort.
And every time a wheel goes 'round,
Every rotation of machinery in production is evidence of progress and confirms utmost dedication towards the war effort.
It carries Mr. Hitler to the burying ground.
Manufacturing essential military machinery and weaponry is the best way to defeat Mr. Hitler and his army for a victorious end to the war in the favor of the US and its allies.
Now me and my boss we never did agree,
There's a disagreement between employees, employers, and management while working towards victory in the war.
If a thing helped him, then it didn't help me,
Selfishness or personal interests should not interfere with the collective efforts towards the war's success, as victory would benefit everyone involved.
But when a burglar tries to bust into your house,
When there's a necessity to fight a common enemy like a burglar, all differences put aside to pronounce a united stance against a threat.
You stop fighting with the landlord and throw him out.
Individuals need to let go of their differences and join hands to fight against a common enemy, both in everyday life and for the war effort.
Contributed by London P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.