January 23rd, 2007

This month, "OPEN HOUSE" took a break from its politically charged conversations in favor of a more harmonious topic, a look at and listen to "The Music of Politics, the Politics of Music." Political musical selections chosen from a nearly 200 song request list were spun by WUMB (FM 91.9) host Marilyn Rea Beyer, who also led a discussion about how music inspires and reflects public sentiment. Click here for the evening's playlist and here for the full list of song suggestions we received from you. Thanks are due to contributing audience members as well as to Marilyn’s fellow WUMB hosts Dave Palmater and Dick Pleasants who provided suggestions and ideas for the evening.

I introduced this 114th "OPEN HOUSE" by expressing the joy I felt anticipating an event that brought together two of my greatest loves: music and politics. "When I’m Gone," Phil Ochs’ ode to engagement in the issues of the day and the song that inspired my first run for public office, led off the event. Marilyn then introduced the original recording of "Brother Can you Spare a Dime." A product of the Great Depression performed by Rudy Vallee, this three-minute song packs in veteran’s rights, corporate greed, homelessness, and social apathy. It has been much recorded since 1932, famously by Bing Crosby, Judy Collins, Peter Paul & Mary, and even Tom Waits.

Next up was "The MTA" (often called "Charlie on the MTA"). Written in 1948 to support the campaign of Walter A. O'Brien, a Progressive Party candidate for mayor of Boston, the song was later made famous by the Kingston Trio. O'Brien, who was unable to afford radio advertisements, enlisted local folk singers to write and perform this was humorous protest of Boston’s newly-raised and hopelessly-complicated "T" fares from a touring truck with a loudspeaker. For his creativity, he not only lost the campaign, but was fined $10 for "disturbing the peace." The audience was treated to the original recording, and led in a sing-along by the voice on that recording, Lexington’s own Sam Berman. The T’s new "Charlie" card and electronic fare collection system offers an ironic testament to the power and endurance of a political song.

Sam Berman gave way to Pete Seeger, and his powerful rendition of the Civil Rights Movement’s anthem, "We Shall Overcome." The now-famous song is based on a much older gospel song, possibly a 1903 song by Rev. Charles Tindley of Philadelphia containing the repeated line "I'll overcome some day," but more likely a later gospel song containing the line "Deep in my heart, I do believe, I'll overcome some day." Seeger added some verses to the original, which was sung famously on the picket lines by striking employees of the American Tobacco Company in 1946 Charlotte, North Carolina. The song was passed from Seeger to Californian singer Frank Hamilton to Guy Carawan, who re-introduced it in 1959. It has endured as an anthem of southern African American labor union and civil rights movements.

Then came "If I Had a Hammer," a song written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays, in support of progressive movements, and first recorded in 1949 by The Weavers (Seeger, Hays, Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman). While the Weavers rendition was not successful, due to the political climate, later versions certainly were. Peter, Paul, and Mary, made it a top 10 hit shortly after its release in August 1962, and brought, with its success, the arrival of an era of protest music as pop music.

Bob Dylan’s obvious contributions to political songwriting were represented during the event by "The Times They are a-Changin’," the title song of his 1964 album. That album marked a dramatic shift from love songs to songs of protest and consciousness-raising anthems that sought to rally a sea change in society. Then "OPEN HOUSE" guests were treated to the late Eva Cassidy’s stunning rendition of John Lennon’s "Imagine," which has become an anthem for religious tolerance, peace activism and global understanding.

Many musicians struggled to capture the moment and meaning of 9/11. Mark Erelli’s "The Only Way," was written in response to events of that day, and includes the poignant line "I'm too young to be so cynical, too old to be naïve."

No sampling of political folksongs would be complete without paying homage to Tom Lehrer. Tom’s hit "Send the Marines" is as funny and powerful today as it was in 1965 when it was written.

For Pat Humphries, who grew up just miles from Kent State University, the killing of four students during a peace rally there had an enormous impact. On Thursday evening, the audience in the Depot joined in a harmonious offering of "Peace, Salaam, Shalom," a Humphries piece that is now sung at rallies all across the U.S., in Europe, the Middle East and anywhere people yearn to live in peace.

"Down by the Riverside," also known as "Study War No More," then raised the energy level of audience members. A spiritual that dates back to the Civil War, the popularity of this song was renewed when Pete Seeger and The Weavers revived it in the 1950s. Only a few years later, thousands of Americans were singing it to express sentiments of anti-war and anti-violence during the troubled 1960s. A new, emotional rendition by the group Ollabelle has proved the wisdom of Pete Seeger’s oft-quoted line: "It's hard to stop a good song."

The evening’s celebration of song ended with another oldie, "This Land is Your Land." It was a fitting end to an evening that would have been incomplete without a tribute to Woody Guthrie. Written by Guthrie in reaction to Kate Smith’s ubiquitous version of "God Bless America," Marilyn introduced this finale calling it "the granddaddy of all anthems.

Thank you to the many people who suggested songs and who came to join the sing-along audience. Stay tuned, stay engaged and keep singing!