Today's tip: Democracy Now! Broadcast from 4 September 2006:

Pete Seeger at 87.

This is worth it, if you have the patience to listen to old folks. Seeger's personal story is riveting, because it is the history of folk music collecting in the US, and it tells you how come folk music is influential politically. Seeger worked with Alan Lomax as a folk song collector, and he knew Woody Guthrie. There's a lot there you'd enjoy hearing about. The folk songs are good, too.

There's some good down-home philosophy in this chat. Seeger's reminiscences and ideas are devoid of jargon. In fact, he's got a pretty good sense of humour, and gently mocks the pomposity of over-serious Commies like his dad and friends. He does a pretty good imitation of Woody Guthrie, too. The interviewer kind of prompts Seeger to give a few insights into his story, including his run-ins with the HUAC. Seeger was one of the few to invoke the First Amendment in his dealings with that organisation – saying, in effect, 'I can believe what I want to, I'm an American.' He ended up in jail for a year.

Extraordinary how subversive folk music can be. Enjoy the stories on the history of 'We Shall Overcome' and 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'.

Old people ramble. But I doubt we've ever heard the ramblings of an old man who keeps interrupting a starry-eyed fan who wants him to relive his glory moments by saying, 'You know, I still think this is what we need to do to save the human race…' In other words, his mind wanders in a really good way.

And you'll find out things you never knew about the Seeger family – such as the fact that it was Pete Seeger's uncle Alan who wrote the famous World War I poem, 'I Have a Rendezvous with Death'. Now, I never knew that, and it's one of my favourite poems.
The interviewer couldn't get Seeger to sing much. So after watching this little film, go to Youtube and catch up on Seeger in his prime. Notice how these songs are relevant today.

Think about what Seeger says about the Parable of the Sower.

Here are some Seeger songs:

• 'Waist Deep in the Big Muddy'. Cut out of the CBS broadcast of the Smothers Brothers Show.
• 'What Did You Learn in School Today?' As relevant today as ever before.
• 'Wimoweh and Where Have All the Flowers Gone' (From the broadcast where CBS cut 'Waist Deep in the Big Muddy' out.)

An enjoyable broadcast. Tune in later this month for more folk music.