Pete Seeger

It took me a day or so to process the passing of Pete Seeger. Somehow I had convinced myself that he would live forever. I know that sounds absurd, but Pete Seeger was the kind of guy who inspired thoughts like that.

I first saw him in concert when I was in college. The thing you need to understand about the man, if you never had the opportunity to see him in person, is his purity. Everything he said or did seemed to come from a deep wellspring of conviction, a sense that we were all put on this earth to help each other.

The best part was that he never carried even a whiff of entitlement. His songs were always an invitation between equals, as if to say: “Come join me, let’s you and me roll up our sleeves and get to work, making the world a better place.”

While writing this post, my mind started drifting back to my favorite song from that incredible concert all those years ago. It’s a moment in time I’ve thought about often, Pete’s perfect rendition of a deeply intelligent and powerfully feminist song written by his sister Peggy.

I wasn’t sure of the exact title, but after a little searching on YouTube I managed to find it. And it was every bit as good I had remembered.

Here he is folks, Pete Seeger, a true hero who helped make the world a better place, singing I’M GONNA BE AN ENGINEER.