Long live teachers of children, because they can show children how they can save the world.
Pete SeegerRead
I keep reminding people that an editorial in rhyme is not a song. A good song makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you think.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A good song goes beyond mere words, evoking a range of emotions and thoughts.
In this quote, Pete Seeger emphasizes the transformative power of music, suggesting that while an editorial may articulate ideas, it lacks the emotional depth and resonance that a true song possesses. A good song is multifaceted; it not only entertains but also provokes laughter, sorrow, and reflection, thereby enriching the listener's experience and connection to the message.
Themes
SongEmotionMusicArtExpression
In practice
Example use cases
During a music workshop, I shared Seeger's quote to inspire participants about the emotional power of songwriting.
More from Pete Seeger
All quotes →According to my definition of God, I'm not an atheist. Because I think God is everything. Whenever I open my eyes, I'm looking at God. Whenever I'm listening to something, I'm listening to God.
Pete SeegerRead
Songs are funny things. They can slip across borders. Proliferate in prisons. Penetrate hard shells. I always believed that the right song at the right moment could change history.
Pete SeegerRead
Well, normally I’m against big things. I think the world is going to be saved by millions of small things. Too many things can go wrong when they get big.” — Pete Seeger (on how he felt about attending his big 90th birthday bash last year)
Pete SeegerRead
I’ve never sung anywhere without giving the people listening to me a chance to join in - as a kid, as a lefty, as a man touring the U.S.A. and the world, as an oldster. I guess it’s kind of a religion with me. Participation. That’s what’s going to save the human race.
Pete SeegerRead
I write a song because I want to. I think the moment you start writing it to make money, you're starting to kill yourself artistically.
Pete SeegerRead
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I got this idea of doing a really serious big work-it would be precisely like a novel, with a single difference: Every word of it would be true from beginning to end.
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