Tributo de Bruce a Pete Seeger

Puedes ver el video grabado en el concierto homenaje a Pete Seeger en el que Springsteen explica como Seeger le contó la verdadera historia de We Shall Overcome en el viaje que hicieron juntos a Washington para la fiesta de Obama a finales del año pasado. Además, relata anécdotas curiosas de ese concierto. Genial.

“As Pete and I traveled to Washington for President Obama’s Inaugural Celebration, he told me the entire history of “We Shall Overcome”. How it moved from a labor movement song and with Pete’s inspiration had been adopted by the civil rights movement. As we sang “This Land Is Your Land” I looked at Pete, the first black president of the United States seated to his right, and thought of the incredible journey he’d taken. My own growing up in the 60’s in towns scarred by race rioting made this moment nearly unbelievable and Pete had 30 extra years of struggle and real activism (that made whatever I was experiencing seem like a short trip around the block.) He was happy that day…so happy and proud to be there. At rehearsals the day before, I asked him how he wanted to approach “This Land Is Your Land”. It would be the finale of the show—all he said was, “I want to sing all the verses, all the ones Woody wrote, especially the two that get left out.”

I thought, of course, that’s what Pete’s done his whole life, sing all the verses all the time, especially the ones we’d like to leave out of our history as a people. At some point Pete decided he would be a walking, singing, reminder of all of America’s history. A living archive of America’s music and conscience, a testament of the power of song and culture to nudge history along, to push American events towards more humane and justified ends. To have the audacity and courage to sing in the voice of the people, Pete is a creature of a stubborn, defiant, nasty optimism. He carries a steely toughness that belies his somewhat benign grandfatherly facade. That will not let him take a step back from what he believes in. At 90, he remains a stealth dagger through the heart of our country’s illusions about itself. He sings all the verses all the time, reminding us of our immense failures as well as shining a light on our better angels and a horizon where the country we’ve imagined and hold dear awaits us.

He has become comfortable and casual in this immense role. The song Tom and I are about to sing I wrote in the mid 90’s. It started as a conversation I was having with myself. An attempt to regain my own moorings. Its last verse is the beautiful speech Tom Joad whispers to his mother at the end of The Grapes of Wrath. Now Tom said “Mom, wherever there’s a cop beatin’ a guy Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries Where there’s a fight ‘gainst the blood and hatred in the air Look for me Mom I’ll be there.”

Pete has always been there.

For me that speech is always aspirational. For Pete, it’s simply been a way of life. The singer in my song is in search of the ghost of Tom Joad. The spirit who has the guts and toughness to carry forth, fight for and live their ideals.

I’m happy to report that spirit, the very ghost of Tom Joad is with us in the flesh.

Tonight he’ll be on this stage momentarily, he’s gonna look like your granddad who wears flannel shirts and funny hats. He’s gonna look like your granddad if your granddad could kick your ass.

This is for Pete..”

(Bruce Springsteen)

Tags: Bruce Springsteen