Songs of Protest: Pete Seeger’s Influence on Folk Music and Social Change

One of the undoubtable greats of folk music is protest-singer-activist Pete Seeger, who enhanced the genre’s ability to help foster social change in America.

Music is one of society’s best teachers. In Songs of Protest, writers analyze some of music’s greatest hits, using their findings to make sense of the world around them.

Written by Ilyanna Santos

As an activist and American folk singer, Pete Seeger longed to see political change in many aspects of American society — from better working class wages to equality for all. Born in New York to a musicologist father and Julliard violin instructing mother, Seeger took after his parents in pursuing music. He began collecting songs from across the country after dropping out of Harvard, gathering an impressive repertoire of songs he’d play on his banjo. He soon began advocating for justice, first in organizing and joining with the Almanac Singers in 1941 to protesting American entry into WWII. “My job,” Seeger said in 2009, “is to show folks there’s a lot of good music in this world, and if used right it may help to save the planet.”

Part of Seeger’s activism included joining marches against theVietnam War and others in support of the Civil Rights Movement. Music was a key aspect in the protest marches of the 20th century, and Seeger helped facilitate music to the masses on numerous occasions. Notably, Seeger marched in the March 1965 Selma protests, invited to participate by Martin Luther King Jr. himself. His inclusion in the infamous protests “helped draw national attention to the horrors of Jim Crow segregation and the denial of voting rights,” according to HuffPost.

Beyond Seeger’s banjo-playing and singing capabilities, Seeger is hallowed for uniting others in song to inspire a need for change in our world. In a 2014 NPR article Paul Brown said, “if Pete Seeger didn’t save the world, he certainly did change the lives of millions of people by leading them to sing, to take action, and to at least consider his dream of what society could be.” Seeger believed that music could, as a form of expression, do that for the people. As Billy Bragg wrote in The Guardian, Seeger, inspired by the progressive mentality of the New Deal, “saw songs as political acts — for him these were people’s songs — ways for the working class to express themselves.”

As a musician, Seeger formed a singing group called the Weavers, whose popularity and success was thwarted by Seeger’s prior political affiliations. The American folk music quartet was formed in 1948, singing a variety of genres but mostly traditional folk music. After its blacklisting, his musical career would continually face significant criticism. Although the social ostracism eventually caused the musical group to split, Seeger continued to perform as a solo act or with his family.

During the era of McCarthyism, Seeger was a part of the Communist Party, but later regretted his affiliation, saying it was naive on his part. In an article written for The Guardian, Billy Bragg wrote, “Seeger was criticized as a Stalin apologist, but he was honest about it and regretted his own naiveté. Like many at that time, Seeger saw that the idealism that seemed to manifest itself in the USSR had been totally undermined by totalitarianism.” Although Seeger and his music suffered severe criticism for his association with communism, he was able to avoid imprisonment and was supported for his anti-McCarthyism and anti-fascist sentiment. He went on to tour the nation, taking his folk sound to college auditoriums, folk festivals, and the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Keeping with the true spirit of folk music, many of the songs Seeger sang were picked up from different parts of the country during his hitchhiking days. These songs covered a multitude of topics, including poverty, labor unions, environmentalism, and anti-war sentiments. Some of his most powerful renditions of folk songs are those sharing the experiences of Black Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. For example, “Keep Your Hand On The Plow,” sung earlier by Mahalia Jackson, mentions the stories of different biblical characters like Noah and calls for nations to make change in pursuit of freedom for all.

Seeger adapted the track from an older gospel song and transformed it through the stylings of his unique folk sound. While referencing dedication to God, the song parallels biblical meanings by hinting at the conflict of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement, with lyrics such as, “Freedom's name is mighty sweet / Black and white are gonna meet / Keep your hand on that plow, hold on.”

Some of Seeger’s songs, such as the popular 1963 hit “We Shall Overcome,” speak to a broad range of listeners. “We Shall Overcome,” originally a folk work song enslaved people would sing in the fields, was first politically used in 1945 worker strikes against the American Tobacco Company for better pay in Charleston. Lyrics such as “We shall live in peace someday / Oh, deep in my heart / I do believe” influenced folk and rock music in the following years, as the song became an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement and influenced later songs such as John Lennon’s “Imagine.”

Not only did Seeger’s work influence music in following decades, but it also heavily impacted social changes. Seeger’s music allowed the American people to have uncomfortable conversations about divisive topics; it united people in a common cause to see the chance of equality and a better America. His work opened the door for political change through social activism as it was played at anti-war protests and marches in the Civil Rights Movement. “Which Side Are You On” discussed labor union issues, which asked the American public to consider the state of labor for working-class citizens. Although Seeger knew that music was not the antidote for change, his music was able to provide solace to fighters for change.

Ultimately, Seeger challenged the American people to change their thinking and be more inclusive and alert of the world that surrounded them by bringing issues of social justice into his music. Although many folk artists sing about social injustices, Seeger’s incorporation of activism into his musical realm distinguished himself from any other in the genre.

Afterglow ATXDecember 15, 2020