I was greatly encouraged and deeply inspired in 2017 after having read a musical message from Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame, announcing on HuffPost that the folk song protest of days gone by is anything but muted. As a matter of fact, it’s very much alive.
“People have been wondering what folksinger/activists, some of them septuagenarians like Noel Paul Stookey and me, might be doing in the face of the current cataclysmic challenges to our democracy and our nation,” Yarrow said. “The answer is simple: we are going to keep on keeping on.”
Yarrow said they inherited a legacy from Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, the Weavers, and many others who inspired them. “They never quit, never stopped, and never stopped advocating.”
Yarrow was introducing the latest PP&M protest piece written by Stookey called “Impeachable.” It’s a parody of the song “Unforgettable,” a huge hit by Nat King Cole from the early ’50s.
It’s a “new twist” on songs that helped mobilize the country during the civil rights movement and Vietnam, including “If I Had a Hammer.” That’s just one of many PP&M protest songs that the group showcased during their tours and concerts, like the incredible venue they played in Los Olivos years ago, in an old barn during a raging rainstorm. The thunder and lightning tried to compete with their performance but failed to match their intensity, determination, and spirit, which the group has displayed ever since its inception in 1962 with tunes written by Bob Dylan and others.
With their repetition at rallies, marches and on the radio, these songs inspired many newcomers to the world of activism. Yarrow says he and Stookey will continue to ring bells and sing songs to defend freedom.
I’m more than happy to share your passion, Peter. Let’s spread the word.