His granddaughter went to my elementary school in the early 90s. He used to sing to my class when I was in kindergarten, and the first time I saw him he was painting the school's porch. He was always a real one.
Franz1987 It doesnt work like that. People talk like that, but thats not the actual plan, and it isnt what happened. In terms of that, liberalism would regulate big businesses with anti-trust laws. The "conservatives" have spent the last 20 demolishing them. Whats ACTUALLY happening is that there are people in one group's pocket and people in another and no one is trying to actually fix the system. Theyre doing bad work on both sides for incongruent idyllic goals, with a ton of corruption thrown in and what you get is two people cutting the same tree so that it falls on the house. Reagan emptied Social Security. Obama wrote a crappy buggy program to give free healthcare to those in need with the money from an empty bucket. BOTH sides have been clearing the way for big business. NAFTA fucked the US good. Thanks Clinton. Ya dick. This is an idiot and corruption problem. The rich will simply move to the next great metropolis of the world when this one is sapped dry.
NAFTA is pure Neo-Liberalism. Neo-Liberalism is not new and it's not liberal. Obama didn't write any program. The one passed in his administration was written by corporate lobbyists. (Benefiting mainly insurance and pharmaceutical companies). Most laws are written by lobbyists who fund politicians in return for them serving their interests.
Franz1987 Do you have any idea what NAFTA does? It opens the gates so that big business can send all its labor south and all its product north without paying import tax or reasonable wages. That goes in the pockets of the conservatives. I dont care what ideology its in line with. It goes in the pockets of the conservative rich to the detriment of the poor and middle class.
I know all about NAFTA...Look up the word Neo-Liberalsim and you will see that's what it is. It's what Dean Baker called a 'conservative nanny state'. A mix of selective markets, deregulation, privatization, welfare for the rich.
@@raak4070 a lot of the time. that's correct. the laws are you don't hit you don't kill you don't steal you don't intimidate and others. when everyone seems to be abiding many have to stop you and make up new reasons to harrass you. FTP stands for bleep the posers. ppl who do that are NOT police. the GENUINE POLICE are honorable ! DESERVE respect and gratitude. bleep the posers
It's funny listening to this song as an adult. I live in the town next to where Pete lived, and he used to come and play at all the local elementary schools every year and would play this song among others. As kids, none of us knew who Pete really was or what he was about, we just thought he was playing fun songs about kids learning in school or about swinging his hammer. As far as we knew, he was no different than the guys that would come do yoyo tricks trying to get us to beg our parents to buy their brand of yoyo, or the other random musicians that would come and try and get us to beg our parents to buy their CD. Now as an adult, I know who he was, everything he did, and what his songs really were about. It blows my mind to know that I got to see him perform every year from kindergarten to 5th grade.
I saw him perform at Vassar College - assuming you grew up in the Hudson Valley - when he was in his 90s. He performed midday. It’s funny. Because, in addition to being a great counterculture and protest singer, he was also a totally fantastic performer for children and families. I remember him singing a song called ‘English is Crazy’ - not a hint of the edge that made him famous, just pure joy of participatory singing.
Well its actually a Tom Paxton song...Pete just covered it and made it part of his repertoire. Ahead of his time except that instead it was Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Grenada (!!), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Panama, Chile, Ukraine, etc. It was a pretty safe bet that US militarism wouldn't end in SE Asia.
Archie Bunker talked about the Draft and how you could not say no. Because of course you would say no. You don't want to die. You don't want to kill. But, your country needs you. Your country calls you. YOU GO. It's a duty. He was right. And his friend talked about how his son went and how he wished he hadn't. The whole thing was such a waste of life and possibly a complete overstep of the bounds of the nation and the government to make war. I'll be honest like he was, I'm thinkin about it still and I'll probably never figure it out because I'll never know enough about it to be sure, but to stand for a country which IS everything you believe in IS noble and heroic. And to have it abuse that is terrifying and a wrong that can't be put right. And it's been doing that for a long time now, right or wrong. Even if every war and police action was justified somewhere in the deep beset stage of powers and consequences which move the world, the lies that call for sacrifice are too old and too full of poison.
NSA sex huh, youd be one of those "russian" national security agency bots then? when did you gets get so desperate for booty you started using bots to program people to want NSA sex? lmao
Most people don't get it. Schools are programming kids. And that's why most adults have not embraced these FACTS!!!!!!!! facebook.com/CAJeffO/posts/10211387967206716
Before Vietnam, there was the Korean War. Learn about Korean War Syndrome & human experimentation done to our own soldiers. Pete's not a prophet, he was simply an observant human still allowed a platform to speak at the time because he was male & a WASP (he wasn't subjected to the bigoted censorship & political violence that drove the so-called 2nd "Red Scare"). He tried to speak for those who could not at this time. McCarthyism really shook Seeger wide awake, when he otherwise would've maintained his previously held mainstream prejudices.
“The nail that sticks out shall be hammered down,” is a well-known Japanese saying. It is usually seen (negatively) as a commandment to conformity, especially by Westerners, but also by a lot of Japanese themselves.
One of the bravest musicians ever. Never afraid to stand up for his opinions. Even if you don't agree with everything, we surely need more ppl with backbones in music.
Jim literally every comment is talking about what he is saying it’s fairly obvious but there’s always a comment like yours to act like some introspective genius
@@MESSI-fx1ob i mean, there's a mass of people in our country in red hats that ACTUALLY believe this stuff literally, so while he may be somewhat hyperbolic in his assessment of the comments, he's not wrong on the whole. we actually have these "red, white, and brainwashed" types and they're basically dragging us down into the mud with them.
Those people who were so brave to rally for civil rights have my respect forever. It shows a kind and special heart, especially for a white person at the time, to go against the grain. Thank you for your service to humanity!
a ballsy and true song. performed in 1964 and more true today than ever. "Lies my teacher told me" is a fantastic book. And last my wife is a kindergarten teacher. the purpose of elementary school is to turn children into mindless consumers so they can grow up, work, acrue debt, and not question the mother country.
Im Gen Z and have been listening to a lot of Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger recently, its insane how much these songs become more more relevant by the day! Law is their weapon and treason is their cry! You can stop them if you try!
@@kommi7658 I don't believe in Gen Z or any gen, but good to know you're not all dumb, haha. I don't follow my generational notation they tried to tag us with, and neither should you, but there is hope if young people are still listening to stuff like this.
What did you learn in school today? I learned that wounded knee was a battle and little bighorn was a massacre. Great song and way ahead of its time. American exceptionalism cannot exist where the truth is allowed to flourish unabated.
K. Molotov Plague of Doves or The Round House would translate to film pretty well, I think. Tales of Burning Love would be a great comedy. Multiple ex-wives of the same man stuck in a snowstorm together after he dies...hilarious.
What did you learn in school today, Dear little boy of mine? What did you learn in school today, Dear little boy of mine? I learned that Washington never told a lie. I learned that soldiers seldom die. I learned that everybody's free, And that's what the teacher said to me. Chorus That's what I learned in school today, That's what I learned in school. What did you learn in school today, Dear little boy of mine? What did you learn in school today, Dear little boy of mine? I learned that policemen are my friends. I learned that justice never ends. I learned that murderers die for their crimes Even if we make a mistake sometimes. Chorus What did you learn in school today, Dear little boy of mine? What did you learn in school today, Dear little boy of mine? I learned our Government must be strong; It's always right and never wrong; Our leaders are the finest men And we elect them again and again. Chorus What did you learn in school today, Dear little boy of mine? What did you learn in school today, Dear little boy of mine? I learned that war is not so bad; I learned about the great ones we have had; We fought in Germany and in France And someday I might get my chance. Chorus
@Shudhanshu Shekhar Mishra it's the era. post-WWII, when this was written, they DID teach all that to kids. they even drilled in hard how columbus discovered the usa. it was surely indoctrination at that time... most likely why boomers who don't try to think for themselves are the way they are.
Thank you Pete Seeger for teaching me your values. They remain embedded in my heart. I have dedicated my life to seeing socialism, justice and the beauty of the common man take its rightful place.
“I learned that policemen are my friends, I learned that justice never ends; I learned that murderers die for the crime, even if we make a mistake sometimes” Jeez, this aged like fine wine
I do believe the song was a satire about indoctrination. The whole point of the song is that the police aren't always your friends, soldiers do die often, the government isn't always right and justice isn't always served, etc...
@@jaywalker2k387 Well the "Jeez" seems to imply that "aged like fine wine" was satire. We can all keep arguing about what OP means, but he'll have to tell us. The post is a bit ambiguous.
I'm 25. I learned about pete and woody at my mom's knee and I sure do wish I could have seen his woundeful Carnegie Hall Concert. He had such a genuine and curiosityvlove for all the music of the world music that was absolutely infectious, and a homespun simplicity that made it accessable to everyboby with the need to sing. A truly wonderful musician.
im a 29 year old man and i watched this and cried like a baby. more hope lost. a few people will always know how things are and the message will never get across.
This machine surrounded hate and forced it to surrender. As Tom Morello put it "absolutely the best that humans can aspire to be - a courageous, kind, fearless soul". Rest in peace Pete - we're grateful.
I have followed Pete for close to 50 years. Whatever else he was, is or may become, he has always been an ambassador of music and free thought and opinion. You are entitled to your opinion - just check your "head" and make sure it is your own and not "what you learned in school today". I have often grumbled about my 87 year old mother being opinionated but have always admired the fact that her opinions are her own.
I'm simply blown away by this fantastic piece of musical satire. Each line of the song can be proven wrong, but schools still taught it as the truth. I would call this the 'American Indoctrination Anthem' but I think the 'Pledge of Allegiance' still holds that crown.
When my dad showed my mom this song a few days ago, she took it literally and had no idea that it was a protest song. She is such a bright woman.....I guess that's what 13 years of catholic school does to a person.
I was lucky enough to see Pete in concert in the 80s on a college campus and I've never forgotten it as it cemented a lifelong fondness for folk music and protest songs - even though I'm very conservative, I appreciate how music can illuminate and propel the struggle against injustice and suffering. Something that conservatives would do well to study and emulate today.
I heard Pete Seeger for the first time here in Israel in 1963 or was it 1964? He pulled up a kitchen chair and began playing and singing. What a wonderful folk singer and special man he was. I truly miss him !
I was fourteen in 1964 and probably just finished learning how Great Briton owned all the pink bits on the world map; and we were actually encouraged to believe we had taken half the world in the name of the Christian God; how twisted it all was.
David Horner I’ve always wondered what GB teaches its students about why, precisely, it exploited and laid waste and havoc to, and was the bain of, the rest of the world as far as it could extend itself to do so... up until the mid 20th century. It’s not a small task to whitewash all that, between South Africa (before the Dutch), India, Ireland & Scotland, America, etc.
@@mikoajmadras3143 Not really... When the British took the monopoly of trade, artists and merchant who would have been exposed to different people and cultures were blocked. When India got disconnected from the world(in cultural aspect) people started to believe or had to believe the British or the other colonial rulers....
+hristoitchov Not just of the school system imo, but of the satire of all these prevalent issues pertaining to American society as a whole to this very day, even 50 years later.
While this is obviously a parody of the school system (I'm sure most people got that), the reason they call this propaganda is because it points out the many flaws of the government and tries to instill in people an anti-government stance, as was the popular sentiment at the time. After all, the opposite of propaganda is propaganda.
Such a great, great man. A real life hero: Sincere, honest social, compassionate, modest, admirable. Never met him, and I regret that I never will, but even apart from the magnificent music he made, I truely deeply care for this man.
WOW! 50 years ago? And today we a going through what this song is describing...CONSERVATIVE CURRICULUM! A couple of years back while working on my Bachelor's, Texas was trying feverishly to "radically patriotize" education. Today in Colorado, they are trying to do the same. I have been a long time follower of Democracy Now with Amy Goodman because she shows us--the conscious public, what the "mainstream" doesn't. It is on this show that i heard today this wonderful song!
He won't rest in peace. First of all, he was an atheist who hated anyone with religious faith. Secondly, he probably realized in his final moments that he had been wrong about there being no God, and that he was going to suffer the torments of hell for eternity. Ha ha! Burn, Pete, burn!
joe arimathea Way to miss the entire point of Pete's life and work. I think his final moments were full of calm satisfaction that he'd inspired millions of people to change the world. Unlike theists, atheists have no enmity towards those who don't share our beliefs, only sadness at lives wasted repeating dogma.
Sorry pyr0bee, didn't mean to lump you in with the insane right-winger. I know that liberation theology and the black church played a huge role in the movements that Pete Seeger was a part of.
There were many like him that fought for this country during wwII and Korea that came back realizing what a terrible thing war was and made it their bussiness to keep us from making the same mistakes.
Sten-Åke Dahl Don't bother, he's a troll. It's telling that he demonstrates the hatred Pete Seeger was trying to counter with genuine love for humanity.
10 лет назад+2
Of course Pete wasn´t a rapper if you prefer that kind of sounds which owns US to day. Everything is about ass, prutt and fuck the mothers culture. Congratulations America!
@@CL-Lynn As far as I know most people who go to college are at least 16 years old. If they are younger than that, their brains are not as easily swayed as the average youth. This song is about what happens to the average child by about Grade 3 to 4.
@@AlbertaRose94 not really man. Everyone changes their thought when they move out and start living on their own. They renew their moral stances at that stage because of new emotional challenges they face. And College happens to be the place that fits this bill. So, their mind can be swayed. and set once and for all.
@@CL-Lynn LOL! I went to college in the late 80s. The feminists in my classes did their best to sway my mind. They failed. Also, even before Covid there were blended programs of online and apprenticeship or practicum, with perhaps going to a small office to write your supervised exam. Colleges and universities can’t sway someone 18-21 unless they have uninvolved parents.
Given that we have a president who won't denounce white supremacy, is endorsed by David Duke and the Taliban, and calls everyone a terrorist who is against fascism or who says that black lives matter, I'd argue there's very little difference between the modern republican party and the far right.
@@phoenixbloomfield9472 yeah, just look at voter suppression, they don't even want democracy, they are literally anti-american but claim to be patriots, smh
What did you learn in school today Dear little boy of mine? What did you learn in school today Dear little boy of mine? I learned that Washington never told a lie I learned that soldiers seldom die I learned that everybody's free And that's what the teacher said to me That's what I learned in school today That's what I learned in school What did you learn in school today Dear little boy of mine? What did you learn in school today Dear little boy of mine? I learned that policemen are my friends I learned that justice never ends I learned that murderers die for their crimes Even if we make a mistake sometimes And that's what I learned in school today That's what I learned in school What did you learn in school today Dear little boy of mine? What did you learn in school today Dear little boy of mine? I learned our country must be strong It's always right and never wrong Our leaders are the finest men And we elect them again and again And that's what I learned in school today That's what I learned in school What did you learn in school today Dear little boy of mine? What did you learn in school today Dear little boy of mine? I learned that war is not so bad I learned about the great ones we have had We fought in Germany and in France And someday I might get my chance And that's what I learned in school today That's what I learned in school
@@freudianslippers6567 I suppose you never lived in a post-Soviet country and never witnessed the effects of communist propaganda? You westerners have it incredibly easy and you just refuse to acknowledge it.
Good thing you have to do it asshole. People like you just cant grasp the simple fact you work you eat. Youre kind others are kind to you, You atack youll get attacked back.
Tank your message is illegible but I can kind of see a bit of bootlicking bullshit through your garbled mess of a comment. Maybe try and have a smidge of empathy and consider that maybe the police, and therefore the system we live may carry a bias and not treat everyone the same
Honestly, it's crazy how normalized war is here in the US. Like we straight up inspire our children to fight, which isnt entirely bad, but we're not the proud patriotic defenders of liberty and freedom when we're recklessly murdering civilians left and right
Gotta reply to this old comment, because today the dead Kennedys are a "punk" band that cheered on Mitt Romney. Probably for the better they didn't tarnish Pete Seegers name
The mpossible nail-through-wood trick brought me here. Great song!
same here bro!
Holy crap! Same here!
hahaha same here :)
same!! :)
same here lol
God damn Pete Seeger had some balls for what he was doing in the 50s. He was a great man.
+Memelord Half the country was in trouble with McCarthy and his House of Unamerican Activities committee. Fascism at it's best.
+Nancy Benefiel Ah facism
Christopher Litherland brave man
Christopher Litherland he was black balled during McCarthyism Era
yes but in fairness this clip is from 1964
His granddaughter went to my elementary school in the early 90s. He used to sing to my class when I was in kindergarten, and the first time I saw him he was painting the school's porch. He was always a real one.
In 50 years, nothing's changed.
Things have changed....for the worse. Since the take over of Global Neo-Liberal policy about 35-40 years ago.
Franz1987
It doesnt work like that. People talk like that, but thats not the actual plan, and it isnt what happened. In terms of that, liberalism would regulate big businesses with anti-trust laws. The "conservatives" have spent the last 20 demolishing them.
Whats ACTUALLY happening is that there are people in one group's pocket and people in another and no one is trying to actually fix the system. Theyre doing bad work on both sides for incongruent idyllic goals, with a ton of corruption thrown in and what you get is two people cutting the same tree so that it falls on the house.
Reagan emptied Social Security. Obama wrote a crappy buggy program to give free healthcare to those in need with the money from an empty bucket.
BOTH sides have been clearing the way for big business. NAFTA fucked the US good. Thanks Clinton. Ya dick.
This is an idiot and corruption problem. The rich will simply move to the next great metropolis of the world when this one is sapped dry.
NAFTA is pure Neo-Liberalism. Neo-Liberalism is not new and it's not liberal. Obama didn't write any program. The one passed in his administration was written by corporate lobbyists. (Benefiting mainly insurance and pharmaceutical companies). Most laws are written by lobbyists who fund politicians in return for them serving their interests.
Franz1987
Do you have any idea what NAFTA does? It opens the gates so that big business can send all its labor south and all its product north without paying import tax or reasonable wages. That goes in the pockets of the conservatives. I dont care what ideology its in line with. It goes in the pockets of the conservative rich to the detriment of the poor and middle class.
I know all about NAFTA...Look up the word Neo-Liberalsim and you will see that's what it is. It's what Dean Baker called a 'conservative nanny state'. A mix of selective markets, deregulation, privatization, welfare for the rich.
"I learned that police men are my friends."
That was fucking hardcore Pete.
If you are not black!
@@jaymercha3859 not just black people
@@betaplain297 right
@@hobbygamer6220 the police protect and serve capital. Not us.
@@raak4070 a lot of the time. that's correct. the laws are you don't hit you don't kill you don't steal you don't intimidate and others. when everyone seems to be abiding many have to stop you and make up new reasons to harrass you. FTP stands for bleep the posers. ppl who do that are NOT police. the GENUINE POLICE are honorable ! DESERVE respect and gratitude. bleep the posers
It's funny listening to this song as an adult. I live in the town next to where Pete lived, and he used to come and play at all the local elementary schools every year and would play this song among others. As kids, none of us knew who Pete really was or what he was about, we just thought he was playing fun songs about kids learning in school or about swinging his hammer. As far as we knew, he was no different than the guys that would come do yoyo tricks trying to get us to beg our parents to buy their brand of yoyo, or the other random musicians that would come and try and get us to beg our parents to buy their CD. Now as an adult, I know who he was, everything he did, and what his songs really were about. It blows my mind to know that I got to see him perform every year from kindergarten to 5th grade.
That is very cool. What a great experience.
I saw him perform at Vassar College - assuming you grew up in the Hudson Valley - when he was in his 90s. He performed midday. It’s funny. Because, in addition to being a great counterculture and protest singer, he was also a totally fantastic performer for children and families. I remember him singing a song called ‘English is Crazy’ - not a hint of the edge that made him famous, just pure joy of participatory singing.
As well you should . He was one of the last true music/political legends.
Same thing happened globally with "Born in the USA". People of all ages and Hollywood
CDs, as we know them, didn't exist at this time.
R.I.P. Pete Seeger. Thank you for teaching generations of Americans that one can be a hero without holding a gun.
its not dying for your country that will win a war. its making the enemy die for their country; that's what wins wars
Så sant. Hälsningar från Sweden.Fred till Ukraina ☮️❤️😍
@@eggisfun4217 Dude, it's no one dying for their country and everyone reaping the benefits of peace that will win a war
I'm sorry but the lyrics are literally saying that war is not so bad...Ofc I take this back if he was sarcastic.
@@blaply3421 Lol, this is one of the most sarcastic songs ever. I can only dream of being able to lay it on so thick...
It's just like watching Mr. Rogers sing fuck da police.
No that's not the point of the song u fucktard
@@lukam8815 lol actually 7 years late
@@lukam8815 it pretty much is tho
@@lukam8815 Pete'd ask ya "which side are you on", and so will I.
@@chloepechlaner7806 and here is the problem with the state of things today! picking sides
Love the cynical bit at 0.45 ..." ...murderers die for their crimes [even if we make a mistake sometimes]..." Superb, excellent.
The whole song is cynical
@@waytoobiased Seriously, who did this person not catch the rest of the cynicism?
"And someday I might get my chance"
Man that gives me goosebumps. So chilling how ahead of time Pete Seeger was with this.
Well its actually a Tom Paxton song...Pete just covered it and made it part of his repertoire. Ahead of his time except that instead it was Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, Grenada (!!), Bosnia-Herzegovina, Panama, Chile, Ukraine, etc.
It was a pretty safe bet that US militarism wouldn't end in SE Asia.
Archie Bunker talked about the Draft and how you could not say no. Because of course you would say no. You don't want to die. You don't want to kill. But, your country needs you. Your country calls you. YOU GO. It's a duty. He was right.
And his friend talked about how his son went and how he wished he hadn't. The whole thing was such a waste of life and possibly a complete overstep of the bounds of the nation and the government to make war.
I'll be honest like he was, I'm thinkin about it still and I'll probably never figure it out because I'll never know enough about it to be sure, but to stand for a country which IS everything you believe in IS noble and heroic. And to have it abuse that is terrifying and a wrong that can't be put right. And it's been doing that for a long time now, right or wrong. Even if every war and police action was justified somewhere in the deep beset stage of powers and consequences which move the world, the lies that call for sacrifice are too old and too full of poison.
This is the most bitingly sarcastic song I've ever heard, sung in the most cheerful and light-hearted tone I've ever heard.
I LOVE it.
This is the most biting sarcastic song I've ever heard, sung in the most cheerful way
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@@asadahmed6841 Another good one is Devo - Beautiful World
Way ahead of his time.
Not really, the story never changed.
Like the first punk rocker
NSA sex huh, youd be one of those "russian" national security agency bots then? when did you gets get so desperate for booty you started using bots to program people to want NSA sex? lmao
Денис Кудрявцев
Most people don't get it. Schools are programming kids. And that's why most adults have not embraced these FACTS!!!!!!!!
facebook.com/CAJeffO/posts/10211387967206716
That last line was BEFORE Vietnam. BEFORE. The absolute prophet oml
Annoyingly even today lots of Americans seem to believe that picking up a gun and going to war makes you a hero for your country.
@@Diogenes2077 its not dying for your country that will win a war. its making the enemy die for their country; that's what wins wars
@@Aryan_Psycho88 "reznov" mind your fucking business
You need killing fields to feed the cash cows. Capitalism dies when the shooting stops
Before Vietnam, there was the Korean War. Learn about Korean War Syndrome & human experimentation done to our own soldiers. Pete's not a prophet, he was simply an observant human still allowed a platform to speak at the time because he was male & a WASP (he wasn't subjected to the bigoted censorship & political violence that drove the so-called 2nd "Red Scare"). He tried to speak for those who could not at this time. McCarthyism really shook Seeger wide awake, when he otherwise would've maintained his previously held mainstream prejudices.
Think we're going to be needing a new generation of Pete Seegers and Woody Guthries x
I learned to just believe in trump he'll help the workers find gold lumps
Lew Bear
nofx
With pop music ruling the world, good luck with that.
Antifascist folk punk is a real thing. Listen to Wingnut Dishwasher's Union.
*Seemingly, impossible trick... **_nail in the wood_** video had this song.*
Funny how the same thing was writen here 4 years ago as well
That mean it's a successful video, that's what brought me here too
“The nail that sticks out shall be hammered down,” is a well-known Japanese saying. It is usually seen (negatively) as a commandment to conformity, especially by Westerners, but also by a lot of Japanese themselves.
Me too
😂😂😂😂
One of the bravest musicians ever. Never afraid to stand up for his opinions. Even if you don't agree with everything, we surely need more ppl with backbones in music.
0:44 "Even if we make a mistake sometimes"
Absolutely brutal, especially coming from decades ago
especially with his delivery
That sweater looks comfy!
best comment dude :D but it really does
RIP Pete Seeger (May 3, 1919 - January 27, 2014), aged 94
You will be remembered as a legend.
One of the darkest songs I've probably ever heard.
MercuriallyStatic you've never listened to Eyehategod...
MercuriallyStatic listen to strange fruit (I know this reply is really late lol)
People really believe this at that time... So it's not that dark if you think...
Only the left would call it dark . . .
light at the end of the tunnel is pay attention to policy, not traditions that morph into corruption.
The brilliance of this song is clearly lost on so many people in this comment section...
Far too true
Thank God you’re here!
There lost of knowing the meaning of the song?
Jim literally every comment is talking about what he is saying it’s fairly obvious but there’s always a comment like yours to act like some introspective genius
@@MESSI-fx1ob i mean, there's a mass of people in our country in red hats that ACTUALLY believe this stuff literally, so while he may be somewhat hyperbolic in his assessment of the comments, he's not wrong on the whole. we actually have these "red, white, and brainwashed" types and they're basically dragging us down into the mud with them.
He is a hero to me. I sang so many of his songs supporting unions and civil rights. I’m 70 now and can still sing them.
God bless!!
Those people who were so brave to rally for civil rights have my respect forever. It shows a kind and special heart, especially for a white person at the time, to go against the grain. Thank you for your service to humanity!
Still living in those little boxes and singing along! A musical hero, for sure. A giant.
a ballsy and true song. performed in 1964 and more true today than ever. "Lies my teacher told me" is a fantastic book. And last my wife is a kindergarten teacher. the purpose of elementary school is to turn children into mindless consumers so they can grow up, work, acrue debt, and not question the mother country.
Best song about 2024. Glad people are still putting out topical songs.
Im Gen Z and have been listening to a lot of Phil Ochs and Pete Seeger recently, its insane how much these songs become more more relevant by the day!
Law is their weapon and treason is their cry! You can stop them if you try!
@@kommi7658 I don't believe in Gen Z or any gen, but good to know you're not all dumb, haha. I don't follow my generational notation they tried to tag us with, and neither should you, but there is hope if young people are still listening to stuff like this.
What did you learn in school today? I learned that wounded knee was a battle and little bighorn was a massacre. Great song and way ahead of its time. American exceptionalism cannot exist where the truth is allowed to flourish unabated.
Dan Underwood I
I learned that you have to say the pledge of allegiance or you get punished
Under Gd!
@@thegreyghost5846 In some places the school will punish you, in other places fellow students will ostracize you.
@@thegreyghost5846 IT's against the law for that to happen, so the person could sue
I learned your songs in school in the early 70's Pete. Love and respect and peace to you.
K. Molotov
Why aren't they making her books into films? Philistines
K. Molotov
Plague of Doves or The Round House would translate to film pretty well, I think. Tales of Burning Love would be a great comedy. Multiple ex-wives of the same man stuck in a snowstorm together after he dies...hilarious.
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that Washington never told a lie.
I learned that soldiers seldom die.
I learned that everybody's free,
And that's what the teacher said to me.
Chorus
That's what I learned in school today,
That's what I learned in school.
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that policemen are my friends.
I learned that justice never ends.
I learned that murderers die for their crimes
Even if we make a mistake sometimes.
Chorus
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned our Government must be strong;
It's always right and never wrong;
Our leaders are the finest men
And we elect them again and again.
Chorus
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today,
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that war is not so bad;
I learned about the great ones we have had;
We fought in Germany and in France
And someday I might get my chance.
Chorus
biswajit roychowdhury MVP
Great 👍 thanks for that
You are the guy 😂😂 Thanks dude
@Shudhanshu Shekhar Mishra it's the era. post-WWII, when this was written, they DID teach all that to kids. they even drilled in hard how columbus discovered the usa. it was surely indoctrination at that time... most likely why boomers who don't try to think for themselves are the way they are.
Thanks man
I think somebody has already said this, but I can't find the comment so I'll post it:
It's like hearing Mr Rogers sing fuck the police.
Black:fuck the police
White:what did you learn in school today?
this is the best fucking comment ive ever seen on a seeger video lmfao
This is the white version lmao.
Holy shit I can't stop laughing.
He and Guthrie were some true American working-class heroes. Rest in peace, Pete Seeger.
What about Hill,also? Three singers of the working people.
Not sure they were "working-class " heroes Not to the " hard hats"
@@SandfordSmythe They were absolutely working class heroes.
@@SandfordSmythe Hard hats meaning strikebreaking boot lickers? Go ask the coal miners in west Virginia how they feel about Pete Seeger.
@@_d0ser A working man's song book was offered to a union in the 60's, and the union leader said they don't sing songs in union meetings.
This song is still so relevant today.
I love it. じいちゃんになっても歌ってた。Pete Seegerは、世界一の folk singer だった。You were the best folk singer in the world.
Thank you Pete Seeger for teaching me your values. They remain embedded in my heart. I have dedicated my life to seeing socialism, justice and the beauty of the common man take its rightful place.
The greatest american song that was ever written. It is even more relevant in 2021 than it was when written.
The impossible-nail-through-wood trick brought me here. Great song
Same.
“I learned that policemen are my friends, I learned that justice never ends; I learned that murderers die for the crime, even if we make a mistake sometimes”
Jeez, this aged like fine wine
I do believe the song was a satire about indoctrination. The whole point of the song is that the police aren't always your friends, soldiers do die often, the government isn't always right and justice isn't always served, etc...
@@megahunter223 yes, we know
@@jaywalker2k387 "Jeez, this aged like fine wine"
That guy didn't.
@@megahunter223 what do you think that means? "Aged like fine wine" means it has aged well, because that satirical line is still relevant today
@@jaywalker2k387 Well the "Jeez" seems to imply that "aged like fine wine" was satire. We can all keep arguing about what OP means, but he'll have to tell us. The post is a bit ambiguous.
I'm 25. I learned about pete and woody at my mom's knee and I sure do wish I could have seen his woundeful Carnegie Hall Concert. He had such a genuine and curiosityvlove for all the music of the world music that was absolutely infectious, and a homespun simplicity that made it accessable to everyboby with the need to sing. A truly wonderful musician.
I’m listening to this today, and it’s bringing me to tears.
Amount of sarcasm is too high ahahahahahahah
Its over 9000!!!
Sure its an old comment but the wood trick brought me today
im a 29 year old man and i watched this and cried like a baby. more hope lost. a few people will always know how things are and the message will never get across.
I'm german: Our english-teacher when I was 10 in 1972 let us translate and sing this and other songs (eg. Little Boxes..) of Pete Seeger. ❤
To be fair, Pete didn't write this one. Tom Paxton (anotehr great protest singer) did. I agree, it is brilliant though.
Hi dude that from 14 years ago
@@arrs5590 hi dude that from 1 month ago
@@memontomori4705 hi
If you are still out there, you should probably pin this comment to the top
This machine surrounded hate and forced it to surrender.
As Tom Morello put it "absolutely the best that humans can aspire to be - a courageous, kind, fearless soul". Rest in peace Pete - we're grateful.
Don't rest in peace. Walk on, and preach on.
I have followed Pete for close to 50 years. Whatever else he was, is or may become, he has always been an ambassador of music and free thought and opinion. You are entitled to your opinion - just check your "head" and make sure it is your own and not "what you learned in school today".
I have often grumbled about my 87 year old mother being opinionated but have always admired the fact that her opinions are her own.
I miss music like this. We need it more than ever.
One of my favourite human beings. Legend.
I'm simply blown away by this fantastic piece of musical satire. Each line of the song can be proven wrong, but schools still taught it as the truth. I would call this the 'American Indoctrination Anthem' but I think the 'Pledge of Allegiance' still holds that crown.
When my dad showed my mom this song a few days ago, she took it literally and had no idea that it was a protest song. She is such a bright woman.....I guess that's what 13 years of catholic school does to a person.
I was lucky enough to see Pete in concert in the 80s on a college campus and I've never forgotten it as it cemented a lifelong fondness for folk music and protest songs - even though I'm very conservative, I appreciate how music can illuminate and propel the struggle against injustice and suffering. Something that conservatives would do well to study and emulate today.
I heard Pete Seeger for the first time here in Israel in 1963 or was it 1964? He pulled up a kitchen chair and began playing and singing. What a wonderful folk singer and special man he was. I truly miss him !
I was fourteen in 1964 and probably just finished learning how Great Briton owned all the pink bits on the world map; and we were actually encouraged to believe we had taken half the world in the name of the Christian God; how twisted it all was.
David Horner I’ve always wondered what GB teaches its students about why, precisely, it exploited and laid waste and havoc to, and was the bain of, the rest of the world as far as it could extend itself to do so... up until the mid 20th century.
It’s not a small task to whitewash all that, between South Africa (before the Dutch), India, Ireland & Scotland, America, etc.
In India still half the people believe that Britishers taught us how to live otherwise we were all poor,uneducated and burden on earth.
@@Amanji_007 Ain't that true? No disrespect
@@mikoajmadras3143 Not really... When the British took the monopoly of trade, artists and merchant who would have been exposed to different people and cultures were blocked. When India got disconnected from the world(in cultural aspect) people started to believe or had to believe the British or the other colonial rulers....
@@geetab322 Alright, I see. Everyday you learn somethin' new. Thanks for the reply
My Political Science teacher would play his songs in the class to explain us concepts. RIP.
That dude is a legend.
4 years Later the impossible Through-Nail-Wood video still bringing ppl here
hahaha
people over fb be talking about 2 am youtube, bro what do you even know
RIP Pete, you were loved even by those who missed out on the sixties. Your songs were lullabies for my children.
Oh yes Peter is dead but his songs is still relevant, it reminds me of my younger youth...Hello👋
I could listen to this song over and over again! Much love Pete! Miss you!!!
70 ish years later and this is still VERY accurate
The impossible nail in wood trick thingy was recommended to me today after 10 years. Thats what brought me here.
The song is a parody of the school system. Anyone who takes it literally and thinks it's propaganda, is an idiot. It is anti-propaganda.
Harry Strong Agreed. It's just not pro-school system propaganda.
+hristoitchov Not just of the school system imo, but of the satire of all these prevalent issues pertaining to American society as a whole to this very day, even 50 years later.
Kelvin Deng I want to make an animated video of it.
Carden Blackthorne I would definitely check it out if you did
While this is obviously a parody of the school system (I'm sure most people got that), the reason they call this propaganda is because it points out the many flaws of the government and tries to instill in people an anti-government stance, as was the popular sentiment at the time. After all, the opposite of propaganda is propaganda.
Such a great, great man. A real life hero: Sincere, honest social, compassionate, modest, admirable. Never met him, and I regret that I never will, but even apart from the magnificent music he made, I truely deeply care for this man.
I actually was a little boy in school when Pete sang this song, and I loved him then. I still do. A great American artist.
Class hero. His words are as true today as ever.
listening to this song as an adult really shows me what i didnt know as a kid
Comrade Seeger will live on in our hearts
From San Diego up to Maine,
In every mine and mill,
Where working men defend their rights,
It's there you find Joe Hill,
It's there you find Joe Hill!
Pete seeger was my childhood hero.little boxes will always be my favourite.X
Great man and great song
As true today as it was then.
WOW! 50 years ago? And today we a going through what this song is describing...CONSERVATIVE CURRICULUM!
A couple of years back while working on my Bachelor's, Texas was trying feverishly to "radically patriotize" education. Today in Colorado, they are trying to do the same.
I have been a long time follower of Democracy Now with Amy Goodman because she shows us--the conscious public, what the "mainstream" doesn't. It is on this show that i heard today this wonderful song!
this song is timeless
I wish it weren't
2018 . We need to listen to the past more than ever. RIP Pete.
One of the most meaningful songs I've ever listened
"Our leaders are the finest men, and we elect them again and again." As manifested in the latest congressional elections.....
this song just pop up in my head and I had to hear it. I didn't know he died . May he rest in peace .
yes, because you sleep, people die everyday !
He won't rest in peace. First of all, he was an atheist who hated anyone with religious faith. Secondly, he probably realized in his final moments that he had been wrong about there being no God, and that he was going to suffer the torments of hell for eternity. Ha ha! Burn, Pete, burn!
joe arimathea Way to miss the entire point of Pete's life and work. I think his final moments were full of calm satisfaction that he'd inspired millions of people to change the world. Unlike theists, atheists have no enmity towards those who don't share our beliefs, only sadness at lives wasted repeating dogma.
joe arimathea people like you are why others hate theists.
Sorry pyr0bee, didn't mean to lump you in with the insane right-winger. I know that liberation theology and the black church played a huge role in the movements that Pete Seeger was a part of.
There were many like him that fought for this country during wwII and Korea that came back realizing what a terrible thing war was and made it their bussiness to keep us from making the same mistakes.
Are you still using this account?
I saw him play at the Clearwater Festival near the end of his life. Great musician, great man.
Stupendous lyrics. Relevant to the day.
I want him to be my symbol of America!
He should be a symbol of the need for a death penalty for singing fart holes
joe arimathea Please explain this (Prutt) excuse me!
Sten-Åke Dahl
Don't bother, he's a troll. It's telling that he demonstrates the hatred Pete Seeger was trying to counter with genuine love for humanity.
Of course Pete wasn´t a rapper if you prefer that kind of sounds which owns US to day. Everything is about ass, prutt and fuck the mothers culture. Congratulations America!
@ he's brainwashed
50 years later and the only thing that has changed is the reason why Mainstream parents have blind faith in what is being taught in schools.
and college!
@@CL-Lynn As far as I know most people who go to college are at least 16 years old. If they are younger than that, their brains are not as easily swayed as the average youth. This song is about what happens to the average child by about Grade 3 to 4.
@@AlbertaRose94 not really man. Everyone changes their thought when they move out and start living on their own. They renew their moral stances at that stage because of new emotional challenges they face. And College happens to be the place that fits this bill. So, their mind can be swayed. and set once and for all.
@@CL-Lynn LOL! I went to college in the late 80s. The feminists in my classes did their best to sway my mind. They failed. Also, even before Covid there were blended programs of online and apprenticeship or practicum, with perhaps going to a small office to write your supervised exam. Colleges and universities can’t sway someone 18-21 unless they have uninvolved parents.
First listened to in 1964, still valid!
Cool
Is a memory song, it reminds me of my younger youth.hello 👋
A classic that should be played and discussed in every high school civics/history class. Because it's the truth, not a matter of opinion.
This song is begging to be remade with updated lyrics to reflect today's times.
It's still pretty relevant to today
Dexter Treymin maybe "dear little boy... dear little girl" but yeah it's still spot on.
jw6532 people dont call their kids "dear" any more?
Updated lyrics: exactly the same as current lyrics.
I have an updated version that i am working on and will be on my youtube channel later this week. Check it out!
The impossible nail to wood trick bring me here!
God bless you Pete.
More relevant than ever, just wish more people would get to hear him.
Beautiful
The only major difference between when Pete sang this and now is that the ultra-right wing John Birch Society is now called the Tea Party.
Given that we have a president who won't denounce white supremacy, is endorsed by David Duke and the Taliban, and calls everyone a terrorist who is against fascism or who says that black lives matter, I'd argue there's very little difference between the modern republican party and the far right.
@@phoenixbloomfield9472 yeah, just look at voter suppression, they don't even want democracy, they are literally anti-american but claim to be patriots, smh
Now it's called "maga"
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that Washington never told a lie
I learned that soldiers seldom die
I learned that everybody's free
And that's what the teacher said to me
That's what I learned in school today
That's what I learned in school
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that policemen are my friends
I learned that justice never ends
I learned that murderers die for their crimes
Even if we make a mistake sometimes
And that's what I learned in school today
That's what I learned in school
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned our country must be strong
It's always right and never wrong
Our leaders are the finest men
And we elect them again and again
And that's what I learned in school today
That's what I learned in school
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
What did you learn in school today
Dear little boy of mine?
I learned that war is not so bad
I learned about the great ones we have had
We fought in Germany and in France
And someday I might get my chance
And that's what I learned in school today
That's what I learned in school
Seeing protesters being beaten up by cops gone feral and this entered my mind.
They aren't "feral," they are getting orders from their superiors.
@@reginabillotti They are getting "feral" orders from their superiors, and they are taking out their anger on peaceful protestors.
Calling them all protesters is extremely disingenuous
@@Terence.McKennaThey are protesting.
Amazing!! Hello from October 11, 2020
One of Tom Paxton's finest. And that says a lot.
Sleep well, comrade.
comrade? he sang a song against propaganda, the very lifeblood of your ideology that is ....BEING TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS
Honey, capitalist/feudal propaganda is second to none.
@@freudianslippers6567 I suppose you never lived in a post-Soviet country and never witnessed the effects of communist propaganda? You westerners have it incredibly easy and you just refuse to acknowledge it.
UB3RFR3NZY h*ck off commie
@@mintybadger841 Pete was a communist you moron.
78 people learned nothing in school today
The only thing school teaches besides basic arithmetic, reading, and grammar is [blind] nationalism/patriotism and obedience.
@@thegreyghost5846 I don't remember that class
Jaxon Cooper same
Or rather, they swallowed everything they were fed in school. ;)
😂😂😂
I'm going to play these when I get pulled over by a cop
"STOP RESISTING" "PUT THE SPEAKER DOWN, HANDS ON YOUR HEAD" "oh we didn't mean to shoot him, we thought that the song had a gun!"
Good thing you have to do it asshole. People like you just cant grasp the simple fact you work you eat. Youre kind others are kind to you, You atack youll get attacked back.
Tank your message is illegible but I can kind of see a bit of bootlicking bullshit through your garbled mess of a comment. Maybe try and have a smidge of empathy and consider that maybe the police, and therefore the system we live may carry a bias and not treat everyone the same
Clever man. Social observation at its best.
What a lovely jumper!
If that last verse doesn't frighten you... the idea of your child dying in war, or worse... I don't know what will.
Thats a lot
Where are you chatting from?
Honestly, it's crazy how normalized war is here in the US. Like we straight up inspire our children to fight, which isnt entirely bad, but we're not the proud patriotic defenders of liberty and freedom when we're recklessly murdering civilians left and right
Как здорово найти на старой магнитофонной катушке у родителей эту песню и понять, что они тогда были достойными меломанами.
Внезапно, и очень круто!
I'm disappoint that the Dead Kennedys never covered this
Well, at least Pete did.
Gotta reply to this old comment, because today the dead Kennedys are a "punk" band that cheered on Mitt Romney. Probably for the better they didn't tarnish Pete Seegers name
@@norwegiancaboose true, but at least Jello still had some credibility last I checked
This was a Tom Paxton song. I remember hearing his first album as a child. My dad was a huge fan of Tom Paxton.
Tom's songs slap, every song.
Still relevant today
Especially the last chorus. This man had balls singing this in the old days.
Listening to this song just makes me depressed...