Pete Seeger, In Memoriam

On January 24th, 2014, acclaimed folk singer, activist, and inspiration Pete Seeger passed away. Our colleagues at Smithsonian Folkways have produced a wonderful piece paying tribute to his life and memory. Please read it here.

"To my old brown earth

And to my old blue sky
I'll now give these last few molecules of "I."

And you who sing,
And you who stand nearby,
I do charge you not to cry.

Guard well our human chain,
Watch well you keep it strong,
As long as sun will shine.

And this our home,
Keep pure and sweet and green,
For now I'm yours
And you are also mine."

-Pete Seeger, 1958, "To My Old Brown Earth"

Pete Seeger performs at a Valentine's Day party in 1944.
Photo by Joseph Horne, public domain

Pete Seeger performs on the Nation Mall at the 2009 inauguration.
Photo by Donna Lou Morgan, public domain