Clearwater
Today is Pete Seeger's birthday, so I thought that it would be the perfect day to share this piece. This song was written from a writers' prompt offered by Tom Paxton, Jackson Emmer, and Daniel Boling at a Songwriter's Workshop in Colorado. The Workshop was held from January 28 to July 2, 2023.
We were given ten minutes (five minutes each) to share a personal anecdote with the songwriter next to us. We were then given about an hour to write our song. As it happened, the person next to me was another Southern California singer/songwriter and musician, Mike Berman. I told my story of being introduced to Townes Van Zandt at The Whiskey a Go Go, by Howard and Roz Larman of L.A. radio Folkscene fame. Mike wrote a fine song about that encounter. Mike then told me his story of meeting Pete Seeger. This song is basically a straightforward telling of the details I got from that 4 or 5 minute story. In the video, Mike is seated to my left; Daniel Boling is seated to my right; and Tom Paxton is seated on Daniel's right. My wife, Carolyn Swanson, took the video on her phone.
Clear Water
By Tim McMullen
(A Song in honor of Pete Seeger, from a story by Mike Berman)
[Chorus—start here, or open with the first verse]
Clear Water
River running Free
We gotta' keep this boat afloat
For you...and Pete...and me
Clear Water
River running True
We gotta' keep this boat afloat
For Pete...and me...and you
A kid just out of college
L.A. transplant to New Jersey
A dirty river ran behind the town
A victim of neglect and greed
That river filled a need in me
With a faith that we could turn this thing around
The folks said, “Hey, we hear you play,
We've got a place for you.
Yep, you're our guy.
We're raising a hue and cry
With songs to overcome the lie
That ruined rivers just deserve to die
[Chorus]
We sang in parks at waterside
And concerts in the town
To help the folks reclaim so much they've lost
And Pete was there to move us on
With a smile and a song
And another thousand voices now who understood the cost
[Chorus—or not]
One day in the cabin a few pickers set to play
When Pete walked in and sat down next to me
We talked and sang and sang and talked
The banjo rang and again we sang,
“These rivers must be clean and must be free.”
[Chorus]
©2023 Tim McMullen
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