There was a stunning, eye-moistening moment in last Sunday's concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Bruce Springsteen introduced Pete Seeger and together, along with Seeger's grandson, they led the crowd in a rousing rendition of "This Land is Your Land."
I have mixed feelings about Mr. Seeger and some of his politics, but this is a great song and I have a certain respect for anyone who's devoted so much of his life to causes he believes will make the world a better place. I remember being taken to a concert he gave out at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium not long after John F. Kennedy was shot. It was exciting, it was entertaining…and I remember that everything he said and everything he sang was, in one way or another, about the worth of every human being on the planet.
And I have to wonder. Seeger is 89 years old. He was close to half that age when I saw him at the Santa Monica Civic. This was back when they still had segregated schools in parts of the South. I wonder what his response would have been if someone had said to him then, "You'll live long enough to sing that song on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as America inaugurates a black man as President of the United States."
HBO has been having YouTube pull down all the clips of the event but this one, which appears to be from German television, is apparently outside their sphere of influence or something. So enjoy — and don't be afraid to sing along. Especially if you're watching it on a wireless connection at Starbuck's or some other public place…
