
Pete once said in an interview “I lost my heart to the old-fashioned five-string banjo played mountain style.” That happened to me when I pulled open one of Pete’s LP’s I’d found in a dusty box somewhere and first heard him play East Virginia. I decided I had to learn the banjo. My dad loaned me his Seeger style long neck banjo and the banjo instruction book (by Pete Seeger) that he had used. It was the one where Pete included a section on cutting the neck on the banjo and whittling a new piece to insert so you could add three frets.
Over the years I’ve watched Pete sing with everyone, and listened to almost everyone singing his songs with him from all over the place. On his banjo he wrote “This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender.” He felt the boundaries we erect between us could be removed through music. He said “It's a very important thing to learn to talk to people you disagree with.” And he made that possible by giving us songs we could all sing together. He said “I have sung in hobo jungles, and I have sung for the Rockefellers, and I am proud that I have never refused to sing for anybody.”
Pete once said “I feel that my whole life is a contribution.” He lived according to that motto, giving the country he loved, the planet he loved, the human race that he loved, so much. Thinking of all this, I was keenly aware that for all these ways in which Pete had shaped and touched my life, I had never met him in person. That in fact, although Pete was gone from his body, he was still very much present in my life. Inspired by that, I wrote a song in memory of Pete Seeger, and everyone else… because I think Pete would like it that way. Travel on Pete! And thanks for showing us the way!
Travel On
When I lay my body down
You won’t find me underground
Won’t be singing praises above
I’ll live on through those I love
Hallelujah! When I’m gone
That’s how I will travel on.
Hallelujah! As I go
Back from the part into the whole.
When I lay my day to rest
I hope I have done my best
To give my heart to those in need
Like others did for me.
Hallelujah! When I’m gone
That’s how I will travel on.
Hallelujah! As I go
Back from the part into the whole.
When I’ve said my last farewell
Here’s where I’m going to dwell
I will nestle like a dove
In the hearts of those I love.
Hallelujah! When I’m gone
That’s how I will travel on.
Hallelujah! Do your part
Hallelujah! As I go
Back from the part into the whole.
When I lay this body down
You won’t find me underground.
Won’t be missing when I’m gone
I’m going to travel on.
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Where: South Valley Unitarian Universalist Society , 6876 Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT, 84121, US