The Big Fool Said to Push On

“Waist Deep in the Big Muddy” was considered so dangerous and politically charges that CBS edited it out of Pete Seeger’s appearance on the Smothers Brother’s  show in September of 1967.  The Smother’s Brothers fought back and Seeger was invited back to perform the son in February of 1968. Tom Morello called it an “Incendiary performance ” and said that “if one four minute song could be given credit for stopping the Vietnam War it is this performance of Pete’s”.

The song is a powerful  commentary on the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and is still powerful today in context in our involvement in the Middle East, NSA Spying, use of Drones for murder, etc.

Here is Pete’s appearance on the Smother’s Brothers show

Here are Tom Morello and Taj Mahal at Pete’s 90th Birthday

And this is Pete Seeger on Democracy Now

Check out our other Pete Seeger posts here at Approaching Justice, as well as our Seeger-inspired Hymns of Social Justice series.