Each Friday I pick a song–new, old, borrowed, blue–that’s been on my mind and in my ears, and write a short post about it.

This is Pete Seeger singing “We Shall Overcome”:

Pete Seeger — “We Shall Overcome”

This song is old and borrowed, but certainly not blue, and like all folk music, you can make it new. I always thought Pete Seeger would live for ever, but this week he died. I’ve always thought Pete Seeger’s best contribution to music was his indefatigable promotion, teaching, and general spreading of popular–that is to say folk–songs. Just listen to the way he talks about “We Shall Overcome” in this film from 2006. Pete Seeger had a joy for music, and he had a joy for the messages in his music, and he had a joy for the real change music could bring.  Music wasn’t the only thing he did as far as campaigning and working for real social change goes, but it was integral to everything he did. Music as life, life as music.