Dick's Birthday

I loved both videos.
Dmondeo, a visit from that dental assistant would be nice, if I could get away with it.
Ann, I enjoyed the Pete Seeger special so much I watched it twice. I first heard of him about 1940 when an aunt living in New York brought a couple of record albums for my dad, a great music lover. The Almanac Singers had some great songs, although controversial. I put them on tape a number of years ago and still play them. Had some great lines like "J.P. Morgan is big and plump, 84 inches around the rump" and "Wendell Wilkie and Franklin D., they both agree on killing me." Another was to the tune of Billy Boy - "Are you afraid to fight, Billy Boy, Billy Boy? - No desire do I feel to defend Republic Steel." Or "Girls would like your uniform, Billy Boy, Billy Boy - They wouldn't get much chance to love me with six feet of earth above me."
My Aunt Alice also brought a beautiful anti-war song called Spring Song by Paul Robeson. Alice was in Peekskill about 1949 when they had the concert that ended with people lining the road and attacking them. On the record introduced by writer Howard Fast you can hear the vicious remarks hurled at them along with bricks and stones.
Loved The Weavers. They were a great group. Mystery writer Bill Pronzini once talked about the housing development in San Francisco that inspired Pete to write Little Boxes, one of my favorite's.
You're right, Ann, that was a great special. Old Pete has always done it his way.

I had forgotten that Pete Seeger wrote Little Boxes. I think I posted a link to the lyrics during a conversation about the 60's we had here a while back. That little song had a powerful effect on me when I first heard it.

Ann

Dick Stodghill wrote:

My Aunt Alice also brought a beautiful anti-war song called Spring Song by Paul Robeson. Alice was in Peekskill about 1949 when they had the concert that ended with people lining the road and attacking them. On the record introduced by writer Howard Fast you can hear the vicious remarks hurled at them along with bricks and stones.

I couldn't find Spring Song but I did find Paul Robeson at the Peace Arch 1952:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdGvoOVaPbk&feature=related

alj wrote:

And, damn, does Joan Baez look god or what???

No, but Pete sure does. So do Emmylou and Bruce.

Interesting video. Spring Song was a moving, beautiful song that came out when the fighting was getting serious in Europe. "I wonder if we'll be at war this spring. Will we be fighting while the robins sing. . . While in the park on Sunday I would like to know that Monday will be just another day in the spring." It went on to such things as Flander's Field where ". . .the poppies bloom and grow amid the crosses, row on row, but the richness lies below in the spring."
The government did everything possible to suppress it so it was never heard on radio or probably anywhere outside New York City except when someone like my aunt took a record with her while traveling. I can't think of another singer who could have done it justice. Robeson had the perfect voice for a song like that.

Honore to old solder!

LC wrote:

alj wrote:

And, damn, does Joan Baez look good or what???

No, but Pete sure does. So do Emmylou and Bruce.

Respectfully disagree. For 68, she looks good IMO.

Ann

Dick, I am so sorry to have missed it, but do hope it was a good birthday for you.