Today’s post is dedicated to the folk music movement that enjoyed great popularity in the 60’s and 70’s. I grew up listening to the Beatles and Pete Seeger. The Beach Boys and Arlo Guthrie. So as you can see, it was Rock and Folk back then. Folk music is the music of the people. It’s lyrics deal with poverty, injustice and suffering.
I went to a Pete Seeger concert and took my husband, we sat in the grass and the entire audience sang with the band and the birds joined in with enthusiasm. We felt connected to every other person we could see. Pete has passed now but the beauty of his music endures.
Folk music deals with the lives of “the masses”. The lyrics dealt with the coal miners, the railroad workers, the poor and the ill. It deals with those who are out of work and hungry. Those children who quit school to go to work to prevent the family from starving.
It also celebrates every life, big and successful or small and difficult. Folk music sees us all as equal and essential to the life of this planet. We are all one human species, and dwell upon this planet without borders. What effects you, effects me even if I don’t realize it. I am sure you know many of these songs and I hope you might enjoy singing along.
There is no difference between religions, skin color, ethnicity or how much money you have. It may seem like there are differences, but there aren’t inside where “we really live.” Inside we are all the same, the children of God. We have bodies that work the same and we are all loved by the Divine. Folk music promotes peace and the atrocities of war. I hope you enjoy my offering today.
Photographed and copyrighted by Barbara Mattio 2014
idealisticrebel 
The Kingston Trio was one of my favorites. 🙂
Loved that 🙂
And folk music keeps our roots strong 🙂
I loved that Pete Seeger kept on singing, playing his banjo, and fighting for environmental protection, even when he was over 90. He helped us NYers fight against high volume hydrofracking in the years before his death, which was so heartwarming and moving for all of us.
Poverty is a weapon of mass destruction: yes indeed, and wilfully visited on many communities of the world by unscrupulous corporations that neither pay their taxes to the host countries, nor to their own governments. Here and there they throw in a bit of war mongering and environmental despoliation. Everybody loses – well, apart from the corporations and their CEOs and shareholders. And so yes, let’s hear it for Pete and all those who join hands and follow in his footsteps. I think we might need to sing more loudly though 🙂
That is what our words do, they are powerful and sharper than a knife. Please keep up all of your hard work. Lives depend upon our words and how we use them. Hugs, Barbara
That’s an inspiring sentiment. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your post! I am so glad to have found your blog! I grew up attending a Seeger summer camp, and Pete, Woody, Arlo…these are the voices of my childhood (even though I was born in 1991! ) I love seeing things written about these incredible human beings and their legacies. I’ve written a bit about them as well, in case you’re interested!
http://lenasclove.com/2015/01/25/ode-to-pete-seeger/
http://lenasclove.com/2015/02/16/woody-guthrie-as-writing-teacher/
Peace,
Lena
Very good. Thank you for sharing with me and I am passing them on. Hugs, Barbara
Thank you so much for reblogging my posts! I look forward to reading your blog moving forward! All the best to you 🙂
I don’t think it any accident that folk music, which speaks from the heart of people, has also spoken for social justice for others not just ourselves. :-).
You are right oh course. Even Bob Dylan spoke to the hearts of the people and spoke up for the people. Hugs, Barbara