The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Vill… Read Full Bio ↴The Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City.
The Weavers were formed in November 1948 by Ronnie Gilbert, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Fred Hellerman.
They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and sold millions of records at the height of their popularity. Their hard-driving string-band style inspired the commercial "folk boom" that followed them in the 1950s and 1960s, including such performers as The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul, and Mary, The Rooftop Singers, and Bob Dylan.
In 1940 Lee Hays and Pete Seeger had co-founded, with Woody Guthrie and Millard Lampell, a previous group, Almanac Singers, which had promoted peace and isolationism during the Second World War, working with the American Peace Mobilization. It featured many songs opposing entry into the war by the U.S. In June 1941, the same month Germany invaded the Soviet Union, the APC changed its name to the American People's Committee and altered its focus to supporting U.S. entry into the war. The Almanacs supported the change and produced many pro-war songs urging the U.S. to fight on the side of the Allies. The group disbanded after the U.S. entered the war.
At Hellerman's suggestion, the new group took its name from a play by Gerhart Hauptmann, Die Weber (The Weavers 1892), a powerful work depicting the uprising of the Silesian weavers in 1844 which containing the lines, "I'll stand it no more, come what may". After a period of being unable to find much paid work, they landed a steady and successful engagement at the Village Vanguard jazz club. This led to their discovery by arranger-bandleader Gordon Jenkins and their signing with Decca Records. The group had a big hit in 1950 with Lead Belly's "Goodnight, Irene", backed with the 1941 song "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena", which in turn became a best seller. The recording stayed at number one on the charts for a lengthy 13 weeks. In keeping with the audience expectations of the time, these and other early Weavers' releases had violins and orchestration added behind the group's own string-band instruments. Because of the deepening Red Scare of the early 1950s, their manager, Pete Cameron, advised them not to sing their most explicitly political songs and to avoid performing at "progressive" venues and events. Because of this, some folk song fans criticized them for watering down their beliefs and commercializing their singing style. But the Weavers felt it was worth it to get their songs before the public, and to avoid the explicit type of commitment which had led to the demise of the Almanacs. The new approach proved a success, leading to many bookings and increased demand for the group's recordings.
The successful concerts and hit recordings of the Weavers helped introduce to new audiences such folk revival standards as "On Top of Old Smoky" (with guest vocalist Terry Gilkyson), "Follow the Drinking Gourd", "Kisses Sweeter than Wine", "The Wreck of the John B" (aka "Sloop John B"), "Rock Island Line", "The Midnight Special", "Pay Me My Money Down", "Darling Corey" and "Wimoweh". The Weavers encouraged sing-alongs in their concerts, and sometimes Seeger would shout out the lyrics in advance of each line in lining out style.
In a 1968 interview, in response to claims that record companies found the Weavers difficult to classify, Seeger told the Pop Chronicles music documentary to "leave that up to the anthropologists, the folklorists. ...For you and me, the important thing is a song, a good song, a true song. ...Call it anything you want."
Film footage of the Weavers is relatively scarce. The group appeared as a specialty act in a B-movie musical, Disc Jockey (1951), and filmed five of their record hits that same year for TV producer Lou Snader: "Goodnight, Irene", "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena", "So Long", "Around the World", and "The Roving Kind".
During the Red Scare, however, Pete Seeger and Lee Hays were identified as Communist Party members by FBI informant Harvey Matusow (who later recanted) and ended up being called up to testify to the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1955. Hays took the Fifth Amendment. Seeger refused to answer, however, claiming First Amendment grounds, the first to do so after the conviction of the Hollywood Ten in 1950. Seeger was found guilty of contempt and placed under restrictions by the court pending appeal, but in 1961 his conviction was overturned on technical grounds. Because Seeger was among those listed in the entertainment industry blacklist publication, Red Channels, all of the Weavers were placed under FBI surveillance and not allowed to perform on television or radio during the McCarthy era. Decca Records terminated their recording contract and deleted their records from its catalog in 1953. Their recordings were denied airplay, which curtailed their income from royalties. Right-wing and anti-Communist groups protested at their performances and harassed promoters. As a result, the group's economic viability diminished rapidly and in 1952 it disbanded. After this, Pete Seeger continued his solo career, although as with all of them, he continued to suffer from the effects of blacklisting.
In December 1955, the group reunited to play a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. The concert was a huge success. A recording of the concert was issued by the independent Vanguard Records, and this led to their signing by that record label. By the late 1950s, folk music was surging in popularity and McCarthyism was fading. Yet the media industry of the time was so timid and conventional that it wasn't until the height of the revolutionary '60s that Seeger was able to end his blacklisting by appearing on a nationally distributed U.S. television show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, in 1968.
After the April 1957 LP release of the Carnegie Hall concert, the Weavers launched a month-long concert tour. That August the group reassembled for a series of recording sessions for Vanguard. As Seeger's college concert bookings grew, the singer felt restricted by his obligations to the group. Vanguard booked the Weavers for a January 15, 1958, session to record a rock-and-roll single. The results were embarrassing and fueled Seeger's frustration. The following month Gilbert, Hays, and Hellerman overruled Seeger about a recording a cigarette ad for a tobacco company. Seeger, opposed to the dangers of tobacco and discouraged by the group's apparent sell-out to commercial interests, decided to resign. Honoring his commitment to record the jingle, he left the group on March 3, 1958.
Seeger recommended Erik Darling of The Tarriers as his replacement. Darling remained with the group until June 1962, leaving to pursue a solo career and eventually to form the folk-jazz trio The Rooftop Singers. Frank Hamilton, who replaced Darling, stayed with the group nine months, giving his notice just before the Weavers celebrated the group's fifteenth anniversary with two nights of concerts at Carnegie Hall in March 1963. Folksinger Bernie Krause, later a pioneer in bringing the Moog synthesizer to popular music, was the last performer to occupy "the Seeger chair." The group disbanded in 1964, but Gilbert, Hellerman, and Hays occasionally reunited with Seeger during the next 16 years. In 1980, Lee Hays, ill and using a wheelchair, wistfully approached the original Weavers for one last get-together. Hays' informal picnic prompted a professional reunion, and a triumphant return to Carnegie Hall on November 28, 1980, which was to be the band's last full performance. They appeared one final time in June 1981 at the Clearwater Festival, in an informal "rehearsal." A documentary film, The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time! (1982), was released after the death of Hays, and chronicled the history of the group, and the events leading up to the reunion.
Following the dissolution of the band, Ronnie Gilbert toured America as a soloist and Fred Hellerman worked as a recording engineer and producer. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
In February 2006, The Weavers received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Represented by members Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman, they struck a chord with the crowd as their struggles with political witch hunts during the 1950s were recounted. "If you can exist, and stay the course β not a course of blind obstinacy and faulty conception β but one of decency and good sense, you can outlast your enemies with your honor and integrity intact," Hellerman said. Some commentators see the reference to 'blind obstinacy' as a veiled criticism of those who believed blindly in all the actions of the Communist Party.
Lee Hays died in 1981, aged 67, and his biography, Lonesome Traveler by Doris Willens, was published in 1988. Erik Darling died August 3, 2008, aged 74, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, from lymphoma. After a long career in music and activism, Pete Seeger died at the age of 94 on January 27, 2014, in New York City. Ronnie Gilbert died at the age of 88 on June 6, 2015. Fred Hellerman died at the age of 89 on September 1, 2016.
Members
Ronnie Gilbert β Alto (1948β1952, 1955β1964, 1980; died 2015)
Lee Hays β Bass (1948β1952, 1955β1964, 1980; died 1981)
Fred Hellerman β Baritone (1948β1952, 1955β1964, 1980; died 2016)
Pete Seeger β Tenor (1948β1952, 1955β1958, 1980; died 2014)
Erik Darling β Tenor (1958β1962; died 2008)
Frank Hamilton β Tenor (1962β1963)
Bernie Krause β Tenor (1963β1964)
The Weavers were formed in November 1948 by Ronnie Gilbert, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays and Fred Hellerman.
They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, and sold millions of records at the height of their popularity. Their hard-driving string-band style inspired the commercial "folk boom" that followed them in the 1950s and 1960s, including such performers as The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul, and Mary, The Rooftop Singers, and Bob Dylan.
In 1940 Lee Hays and Pete Seeger had co-founded, with Woody Guthrie and Millard Lampell, a previous group, Almanac Singers, which had promoted peace and isolationism during the Second World War, working with the American Peace Mobilization. It featured many songs opposing entry into the war by the U.S. In June 1941, the same month Germany invaded the Soviet Union, the APC changed its name to the American People's Committee and altered its focus to supporting U.S. entry into the war. The Almanacs supported the change and produced many pro-war songs urging the U.S. to fight on the side of the Allies. The group disbanded after the U.S. entered the war.
At Hellerman's suggestion, the new group took its name from a play by Gerhart Hauptmann, Die Weber (The Weavers 1892), a powerful work depicting the uprising of the Silesian weavers in 1844 which containing the lines, "I'll stand it no more, come what may". After a period of being unable to find much paid work, they landed a steady and successful engagement at the Village Vanguard jazz club. This led to their discovery by arranger-bandleader Gordon Jenkins and their signing with Decca Records. The group had a big hit in 1950 with Lead Belly's "Goodnight, Irene", backed with the 1941 song "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena", which in turn became a best seller. The recording stayed at number one on the charts for a lengthy 13 weeks. In keeping with the audience expectations of the time, these and other early Weavers' releases had violins and orchestration added behind the group's own string-band instruments. Because of the deepening Red Scare of the early 1950s, their manager, Pete Cameron, advised them not to sing their most explicitly political songs and to avoid performing at "progressive" venues and events. Because of this, some folk song fans criticized them for watering down their beliefs and commercializing their singing style. But the Weavers felt it was worth it to get their songs before the public, and to avoid the explicit type of commitment which had led to the demise of the Almanacs. The new approach proved a success, leading to many bookings and increased demand for the group's recordings.
The successful concerts and hit recordings of the Weavers helped introduce to new audiences such folk revival standards as "On Top of Old Smoky" (with guest vocalist Terry Gilkyson), "Follow the Drinking Gourd", "Kisses Sweeter than Wine", "The Wreck of the John B" (aka "Sloop John B"), "Rock Island Line", "The Midnight Special", "Pay Me My Money Down", "Darling Corey" and "Wimoweh". The Weavers encouraged sing-alongs in their concerts, and sometimes Seeger would shout out the lyrics in advance of each line in lining out style.
In a 1968 interview, in response to claims that record companies found the Weavers difficult to classify, Seeger told the Pop Chronicles music documentary to "leave that up to the anthropologists, the folklorists. ...For you and me, the important thing is a song, a good song, a true song. ...Call it anything you want."
Film footage of the Weavers is relatively scarce. The group appeared as a specialty act in a B-movie musical, Disc Jockey (1951), and filmed five of their record hits that same year for TV producer Lou Snader: "Goodnight, Irene", "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena", "So Long", "Around the World", and "The Roving Kind".
During the Red Scare, however, Pete Seeger and Lee Hays were identified as Communist Party members by FBI informant Harvey Matusow (who later recanted) and ended up being called up to testify to the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1955. Hays took the Fifth Amendment. Seeger refused to answer, however, claiming First Amendment grounds, the first to do so after the conviction of the Hollywood Ten in 1950. Seeger was found guilty of contempt and placed under restrictions by the court pending appeal, but in 1961 his conviction was overturned on technical grounds. Because Seeger was among those listed in the entertainment industry blacklist publication, Red Channels, all of the Weavers were placed under FBI surveillance and not allowed to perform on television or radio during the McCarthy era. Decca Records terminated their recording contract and deleted their records from its catalog in 1953. Their recordings were denied airplay, which curtailed their income from royalties. Right-wing and anti-Communist groups protested at their performances and harassed promoters. As a result, the group's economic viability diminished rapidly and in 1952 it disbanded. After this, Pete Seeger continued his solo career, although as with all of them, he continued to suffer from the effects of blacklisting.
In December 1955, the group reunited to play a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall. The concert was a huge success. A recording of the concert was issued by the independent Vanguard Records, and this led to their signing by that record label. By the late 1950s, folk music was surging in popularity and McCarthyism was fading. Yet the media industry of the time was so timid and conventional that it wasn't until the height of the revolutionary '60s that Seeger was able to end his blacklisting by appearing on a nationally distributed U.S. television show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, in 1968.
After the April 1957 LP release of the Carnegie Hall concert, the Weavers launched a month-long concert tour. That August the group reassembled for a series of recording sessions for Vanguard. As Seeger's college concert bookings grew, the singer felt restricted by his obligations to the group. Vanguard booked the Weavers for a January 15, 1958, session to record a rock-and-roll single. The results were embarrassing and fueled Seeger's frustration. The following month Gilbert, Hays, and Hellerman overruled Seeger about a recording a cigarette ad for a tobacco company. Seeger, opposed to the dangers of tobacco and discouraged by the group's apparent sell-out to commercial interests, decided to resign. Honoring his commitment to record the jingle, he left the group on March 3, 1958.
Seeger recommended Erik Darling of The Tarriers as his replacement. Darling remained with the group until June 1962, leaving to pursue a solo career and eventually to form the folk-jazz trio The Rooftop Singers. Frank Hamilton, who replaced Darling, stayed with the group nine months, giving his notice just before the Weavers celebrated the group's fifteenth anniversary with two nights of concerts at Carnegie Hall in March 1963. Folksinger Bernie Krause, later a pioneer in bringing the Moog synthesizer to popular music, was the last performer to occupy "the Seeger chair." The group disbanded in 1964, but Gilbert, Hellerman, and Hays occasionally reunited with Seeger during the next 16 years. In 1980, Lee Hays, ill and using a wheelchair, wistfully approached the original Weavers for one last get-together. Hays' informal picnic prompted a professional reunion, and a triumphant return to Carnegie Hall on November 28, 1980, which was to be the band's last full performance. They appeared one final time in June 1981 at the Clearwater Festival, in an informal "rehearsal." A documentary film, The Weavers: Wasn't That a Time! (1982), was released after the death of Hays, and chronicled the history of the group, and the events leading up to the reunion.
Following the dissolution of the band, Ronnie Gilbert toured America as a soloist and Fred Hellerman worked as a recording engineer and producer. The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001.
In February 2006, The Weavers received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Represented by members Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman, they struck a chord with the crowd as their struggles with political witch hunts during the 1950s were recounted. "If you can exist, and stay the course β not a course of blind obstinacy and faulty conception β but one of decency and good sense, you can outlast your enemies with your honor and integrity intact," Hellerman said. Some commentators see the reference to 'blind obstinacy' as a veiled criticism of those who believed blindly in all the actions of the Communist Party.
Lee Hays died in 1981, aged 67, and his biography, Lonesome Traveler by Doris Willens, was published in 1988. Erik Darling died August 3, 2008, aged 74, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, from lymphoma. After a long career in music and activism, Pete Seeger died at the age of 94 on January 27, 2014, in New York City. Ronnie Gilbert died at the age of 88 on June 6, 2015. Fred Hellerman died at the age of 89 on September 1, 2016.
Members
Ronnie Gilbert β Alto (1948β1952, 1955β1964, 1980; died 2015)
Lee Hays β Bass (1948β1952, 1955β1964, 1980; died 1981)
Fred Hellerman β Baritone (1948β1952, 1955β1964, 1980; died 2016)
Pete Seeger β Tenor (1948β1952, 1955β1958, 1980; died 2014)
Erik Darling β Tenor (1958β1962; died 2008)
Frank Hamilton β Tenor (1962β1963)
Bernie Krause β Tenor (1963β1964)
I've Got a Home in That Rock
The Weavers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got a home in that rock, don't you see?
I've got a home in that rock, don't you see?
Between the earth and sky I thought I heard my Savior cry
You better get home in that rock, don't you see?
Now, the rich man Davies lived so well, don't you see?
Rich man Davies lived so well, don't you see?
Rich man Davies lived so well, when he died he had a home in hell
He had no home in that rock, don't you see
A poor man Lazurus poor as I, don't you see?
Poor man Lazurus poor as I, don't you see?
Poor man Lazurus poor as I when he died he held my home on high
He had him a home in that rock, don't you see?
Now, God gives no other rainbow sign, don't you see?
God gives no other rainbow sign, don't you see?
God gives no other rainbow sign, no more water but fire next time
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
Between the earth and sky I thought I heard my Savior cry
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
I've got a home in that rock, don't you see?
Between the earth and sky I thought I heard my Savior cry
You better get home in that rock, don't you see?
Now, the rich man Davies lived so well, don't you see?
Rich man Davies lived so well, don't you see?
Rich man Davies lived so well, when he died he had a home in hell
A poor man Lazurus poor as I, don't you see?
Poor man Lazurus poor as I, don't you see?
Poor man Lazurus poor as I when he died he held my home on high
He had him a home in that rock, don't you see?
Now, God gives no other rainbow sign, don't you see?
God gives no other rainbow sign, don't you see?
God gives no other rainbow sign, no more water but fire next time
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
Between the earth and sky I thought I heard my Savior cry
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
The lyrics of "I've Got a Home in That Rock" by The Weavers talks about finding salvation and a home in heaven. The opening lines, "I've got a home in that rock, don't you see?" give emphasis to the belief in having a sanctuary in the afterlife. The message of this song seems to be suggesting that while people may lead different lives, the outcome of the afterlife relies on seeking redemption and finding faith before it is too late. The second and third verses mention wealthy Davies who did not find redemption and instead found a home in hell. Meanwhile, Lazarus, who was poor during his lifetime, had a place in heaven.
The last verse is a warning to those who have not yet found a home in the rock. The line "God gives no other rainbow sign, no more water but fire next time" is a reference to the story of Noah's Ark in the bible. In the story of Noah's Ark, God promises to never destroy the earth with a flood again and this is the rainbow sign mentioned in the song. However, the next destruction will be through fire, meaning that there will be no second chance for those who do not find redemption. Overall, the song conveys a message that emphasizes the importance of finding one's faith and salvation before it is too late.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got a home in that rock, don't you see?
I have found my eternal home in God's grace and salvation.
Between the earth and sky I thought I heard my Savior cry
You better get home in that rock, don't you see?
I heard Jesus calling out to me, warning me to find my salvation in Him before it's too late.
Rich man Davies lived so well, don't you see?
Rich man Davies lived so well, when he died he had a home in hell
He had no home in that rock, don't you see
A wealthy man who lived a comfortable life on Earth went to Hell after death because he didn't accept God's grace and salvation.
Poor man Lazurus poor as I, don't you see?
Poor man Lazurus poor as I, when he died he held my home on high
He had him a home in that rock, don't you see?
A poor man like me, named Lazarus in the Bible, found his home in God's grace and salvation after death and now resides in Heaven.
God gives no other rainbow sign, don't you see?
God gives no other rainbow sign, no more water but fire next time
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
God will not give any further signs or warnings, and those who don't accept salvation will face the fiery judgement of Hell.
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
Between the earth and sky I thought I heard my Savior cry
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
You better get a home in that rock, don't you see?
The lyrics reinforce the message that salvation is crucial, and one should seek and accept God's grace to secure a place in Heaven.
Lyrics Β© CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: TRADITIONAL, ERIK DARLING, FRED HELLERMAN, LEE HAYS, RONNIE GILBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@Brian_Davis
Iβve got me a home not made by hands
Iβve got me a home in Heaven on high
Iβve got me a home way beyond the sky
Iβm gonna see my Lord
See the one who bled and died for me
Gonna fall down at His feet
Thank Him for all Heβs done for me
Gonna see my Lord when I get home
Gonna worship Him all day long
Iβm gonna worship Him with a new song
Iβm gonna worship all day long
As we gather βround the throne
Gonna worship Him when I get home
Iβm gonna walk those streets of gold
Iβm gonna walk those golden streets someday
Iβm gonna walk those streets of gold as eternity rolls
Iβm gonna walk those golden streets when I get home
@beverlyplayer2195
Since seeing this video, I 've watched it over and over again. I love the harmony, the light heartedness of the lead singer and the overall good looking family with beautiful harmony. I love, love , love this song
@Royhauya-uw2kr
Such a great blessing to have time to praise the lord as family. Amen Lord
@Samuelson8169
So do I . I listen all the day long ..Praise Lord Jesus
@godlovemrosso5973
The same as me
Several times I 'm watching this video
@TheWriterWalker
THIS is the kind of America I grew up in. I was blessed to be among people who were united by Christ and not divided by race. God bless Gaither Music TV.
@DavidMizeMusic
Waaaay back when, maybe the late 90's, we had Jessy Dixon scheduled for a concert and he stood us up. We wanted an African American artist and we found Reggie and his family. They were fairly unknown at that point. They came in and were gracious, wonderful and absolutely brought down the house. The ladies' harmony is probably the best I've heard. You can only get that kind of harmony from a family. It's basically genetic. I love these guys and I hope they're still out there killing it.
@edwardbasdeo1297
Really wonderful singing.Praise the Lord for such super talents. Continue singing for the glory of God
@Brian_Davis
Iβve got me a home not made by hands
Iβve got me a home in Heaven on high
Iβve got me a home way beyond the sky
Iβm gonna see my Lord
See the one who bled and died for me
Gonna fall down at His feet
Thank Him for all Heβs done for me
Gonna see my Lord when I get home
Gonna worship Him all day long
Iβm gonna worship Him with a new song
Iβm gonna worship all day long
As we gather βround the throne
Gonna worship Him when I get home
Iβm gonna walk those streets of gold
Iβm gonna walk those golden streets someday
Iβm gonna walk those streets of gold as eternity rolls
Iβm gonna walk those golden streets when I get home
@marjoriespeicher.9319
Yes Lord.Its so sweet to be alive here on earth,so can you imagine when we get to our final home after the grave.
@widiwidian2778
Saloom... saya Yohanes dari Indonesia.. saya tidak nengerti keseluruhan arti lagu ini, tapi saya tau Anda sedang memuji Tuhan Yesus.. ini nyanyian yang sangat indah, musiknya juga sangat indah. Saya sangat senang dan sungguh terberkati oleh nyanyian ini.
Teruslah berkarya untuk memuliakan nama Tuhan Yesus..
Tuhan Yesus kiranya selaly memberkati anda semua..
Salam manis dari Indonesia untuk Anda semua β€β€ππ