Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I liked American Pie but I didn't have a clue to what the whole song was about. To me,it was more like a very good poem with good music...and I liked it. I really didn't care about figuring it out then, today or tommarrow. My sister bugged me more about what the song was about...and I just told her I went on a mission to find out and it was about a bunch of guys getting drunk in a chevy on a levy by the Mississippi river. She finally gave up after a few of those. I find that I still do provide more of those BS answers now and then when folks think I should be all knowing. I like Bells of Rhymney... first heard it when I was about 16 and was able to figure out what it was about...I think the album cover even notes that the song is about a Welsh mine disaster.

> NONE of my friends cared a rats a*s about
> Pete Seeger or the Rhymney lyrics.

Your loss.

bw

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Yeah, I'm crying.

Haircuts: yeah, yeah yeah! Don't forget about the tight pants Crosby guy!!!

Steve: While you may not care about music history, the viewpoints offered here are presented in good faith. I would ask that you choose your words more carefully. There is an edit icon which you can use to change your post for a few hours after you have commented. Most of today's music can be traced to earlier roots and while you may not like these artists they have had a significant impact on those that have followed.

Peter, I'll choose my words carefully if you will. You're seriously jumping to conclusions when you accuse me of not caring about music history. I would venture to say I probably know as much or more about music history from the 30s and 40s, as well as the 60s than many of your posters here, but that's beside the point. In the CONTEXT of the times, I still say when we all were bitten by the Beatlemania bug in our early teens (w/ the Byrds following shortly thereafter) just how many kids do you really think were aware or cared about Pete Seeger?

Steve: I did not mean to short change you with regard to your knowledge of music history. I would be grateful, however, for a dialogue that is more sensitive to others' feelings.

For what it's worth, I may not have known who Pete Seeger was when the Byrds first came out but I certainly did shortly thereafter.

And I have a soft spot for miners and mining songs. The best of them all is "High Flying Bird." And as a recap, the song I performed with G.E. and Jack last year at the Ranch was Merle's "Dark As A Dungeon."

Mark, if you like miner songs then you must have listened to Gordon Lightfoot's "Sweet Gwenivere". That's a jewel.
Back in the 60's I was straddling the fence with Byrds and Folk Music. Pete seeger was right in the middle of it..then comes the Byrd's cover of TTT. I was not a big fan of the Beatles (I did like some of thier stuff)....but very much a follower of the Byrds.

Amen to what Mark said. Most bands from that era got me familiar with and interested in their influences, be they Pete Seeger or Buddy Holly or Howlin Wolf.

Ron, yes, a great song. Surprised it didn't make the Lightfoot box set.

Also, Cumberland Blues by the Dead.

I've just started to write my own songs. Guess I'll have to write my own mining song.

The first time I heard Pete Seeger play live was a solo performance at the Univ. of Colorado in 1966. I was blown away by his guitar playing skills. I knew he could play the banjo, but the guitar work (particularly on the Martin D-12-20 he played) was just stellar.

John Denver did an interesting cover of "Bells of Rhymney" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUc41gKw0iQ

How's Pete doin', by the way? He must be 90 or something? A very brave man, will be a sad day when he passes.

He either is, or will turn 88 sometime this year. He was born the same year as my dad was, 1919.

JimK