A Time To Be Born, A Time To Die
Program Note: Today's regular column is still scheduled for publication soon after tonight's State Of The Union address to Congress and the nation.
But before we get to politics, we would like to take the time to mark the passing of a great American, Pete Seeger. To do so is easy, because all we have to do is reprint the lyrics of one of his best-known songs. Actually, Pete himself just wrote the music and (as he put it) "six words." He was speaking of the final six words to the song, which is the only truly original lyric in it. The rest was rearranged from Bible verses (specifically, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8), and was the first time the Bible reached number one on the music charts. But Pete did write the music for the song, and he did arrange it beautifully and he did put the chorus together (along with a seventh word, repeated six times).
Plus, it is a wonderful way to remember a man who brought joy to millions through his gift of music. The only better epitaph for the kind of man Pete Seeger was comes from his grandson, who noted "he was chopping wood ten days ago."
Pete Seeger was 94 years old.
Requiescat In Pace.
We'll miss you, Pete.
-- Chris Weigant
Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is A Season)
(Chorus)
To everything (Turn! Turn! Turn!)
There is a season (Turn! Turn! Turn!)
And a time for every purpose
Under Heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep(Chorus)
A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together(Chorus)
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing(Chorus)
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it's not too late.
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Rest empowered.
Well said....
Michale
Indeed.
Yesterday WYSO, the best little radio station in the whole world
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wyso/ppr/index.shtml
streamed a Seeger gem I had long forgotten. Nobody else could puncture chauvinism quite so gently yet completely. The tune should be obvious. You can find an audio of it on YouTube if you are so inclined.
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
Give me that old time religion
It's good enough for me.
We will pray with Aphrodite,
We will pray with Aphrodite,
She wears that see-through nightie,
And it's good enough for me.
We will pray with Zarathustra,
We'll pray just like we use ta,
I'm a Zarathustra booster,
And it's good enough for me.
We will pray with those Egyptians,
Build pyramids to put our crypts in,
Cover subways with inscriptions,
And it's good enough for me.
We will pray with those old druids,
They drink fermented fluids,
Waltzing naked though the woo-ids,
And it's good enough for me.
We do dances to bring water,
Prepare animals for slaughter,
Sacrifice our sons and daughters,
And it's good enough for me.
I'll arise at early morning,
When my Lord gives me the warning,
That the solar age is dawning,
And it's good enough for me