Peace Love and Understanding?

I can still hear his voice on the station’s answering machine, “Jesus, God, Kate McNally…what are you thinking? Playing Pete Seeger peace music at a time like this?!” Then, click. He hung up. He didn’t leave a name…just the message. The music he was referring to was the re-release of HARP A Time to Sing featuring Holly Near, Arlo Guthrie, and former Weavers members Ronnie Gilbert and Pete Seeger. It was in 2002, not long after the War in Afghanistan began in response to the September 11th attacks on the U.S. My first response was “so what’s so bad about PEACE music, anyway? The album was originally released in 1984 with 13 songs. The digitally re-mastered 2002 version included 13 more songs with political and social commentary woven throughout.

I recently played a couple of tracks from the new Maria Muldaur album, Yes We Can! featuring the Women’s Voices for Peace Choir which includes Odetta, Bonnie Raitt and Holly Near, to name a few. I still felt the sting from nearly 6 years ago and wondered if the phone would ring in response to the Dylan tune John Brown about a guy mamed in battle or to the Peace Choir’s infectious Down By the Riverside. In the words of Nick Lowe, “What’s So Funny ‘Bout Peace, Love and Understanding.” Sh-h-h-h…..I won’t tell if you don’t.